The Two Faces of January is like a real thriller, only without suspense, twists or intrigue. While not terrible, the movie is certainly dull, and a complete waste of the talent involved.

Talented actors Viggo Mortensen and Oscar Isaac lead the cast, which has a con man killing a private detective who has come looking for him in 1962 Greece. To cover up the crime, he enlists the help of an only-half innocent tour guide (Isaac)--which sets off a cat-and-mouse game where there are no winners, including the audience.

Kirsten Dunst is also in it, and looks thoroughly lost as a result.

The movie, which is based on a book by Patricia Highsmith, has promise, but writer/director Hossein Amini does little with the material. The Two Faces of January is like The Talented Mr. Ripley in some ways (well, primarily just that they are set in the same time period, and in Europe), except it lacks energy, excitement or unique hook. Despite multiple deaths and what was intended to be a back-and-forth chess match between Mortensen and Isaac, nothing much at all seems to happen.

The actors drift from one muted scene to the next; even the scenery feels muted, which is shocking given that the movie is set in beautiful Greece and Crete. The movie feels like you’re watching one of those Claritin commercials--before the actors take the pill and everything becomes vibrant and alive.

The Two Faces of January isn’t offensively bad, but it is offensively dull, wasting a talented cast and mildly interesting plot. The movie is a thriller, but it doesn’t feel like one.

Review by Erik Samdahl. Erik is a marketing and technology executive by day, avid movie lover by night. He is a member of the Seattle Film Critics Society.