The Two Faces of January

If this movie had been made back in mid-century when Alfred Hitchcock and Stanley Donen and Billy Wilder were at their peak, it probably wouldn't get much attention. But given we're in an age where Transformers XVI is a possibility, a movie like this--taut, suspenseful, well-acted, well- written, is kind of a marvel. It doesn't promise a lot: there are no special effects, the plot twists aren't terribly surprising; in fact, nothing in the movie really surprises. But it's all so seamlessly put together, so pleasingly directed, and shot with such loving attention to the scenery, Two Faces is a real delight. Don't come with great expectations--come simply for the pure entertainment of what a movie can be when everything in it works well. (Also, it's based on a Patricia Highsmith novel, so you know that if nothing else, there will be sophistication and wit.)