The Two Faces of January

Having read quite a few Patricia Highsmith novels, I should have guessed the set up for the Two Faces of January, as they are all very similar. There is invariably a couple and an interloper, who becomes drawn to either one of the two and stalks them, becoming tangled in their lives and gradually building to a climax of tragedy.
One of the trio usually dies at the hands of another in the group and the remaining two play a cat and mouse game between themselves and the authorities.
Having read this scenario before, it was still a surprise to me when the pivotal death occurred, but after this it fell into familiar territory and dragged on a bit towards the end.
The highlight for this novel, and I guess for the film makers, is that the plot is set in some great European backdrops - Athens, Crete and Paris. 






Warning - spoilers!

I enjoyed the gradual introduction to the characters and the way the script played with the audience's perceptions. At first it is Rydal, the tour guide, who is shown as the not-to-be-trusted scammer. He swaps dollars for drachma but at an exchange rate that benefits his pocket. He offers to show Chester and Colette the sights and starts to over-charge them. The scales are tipped in his favour bit by bit, however, as the details of Chester's own embezzlement and aliases are revealed, and when he accidentally kills a private investigator intent on justice for his clients. 
There is a clear link shown in the film between Rydal's recently deceased father and the appearance of Chester, which is built on through to the end. Chester is clearly the father that Rydal never had, despite his attempts to murder him! So much so that he goes to Chester's funeral but chose not to go to his own fathers'.
 The period feel and the scenery are shot beautifully and it is easy on the eye.

 I do have issues with the changes to the pivotal death of Colette, however. The Knossos ruin in the film is dark, broody and empty at night. It works well for mood, but in the book it was broad daylight and there was a ticket office, so there were witnesses who could identify Rydal as a suspect. How can the police be checking the borders for men that look like Rydal, when nobody was there! Also, the death in the film is portrayed much more as an accident, with Colette slipping off stone steps. In the book, Chester calculatedly pushes a piece of the ruins from above and bashes her brains out. Admittedly this was meant for Rydal and not his wife, but this was a deliberate act that went wrong. This means that Chester is haunted by his actions and the fact that it should have been Rydal that died means he pursues him with a grudge. Without this, Chester's future vindictive behaviour and final redemptive admittance of guilt seem to have less motivation.
 

  
If you enjoyed the book, try The Cry of the Owl or This Sweet Sickness by Patricia Highsmith.

If you enjoyed this film and haven't seen it, The Talented Mr Ripley is brilliant. Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train, also adapted from a Highsmith novel, is very good at the stalking aspect too.