All the Old Knives
When a six-year-old case is reopened after new intelligence comes to light, CIA operative Henry Pelham (Chris Pine) is tasked with investigating which of his former team could have been a possible mole, with the main suspect being his former lover, Celia (Thandiwe Newton). The pair meet in a quiet wine bar to go over key details of what happened all those years ago, the flame of their past romance still flickering. All The Old Knives’ combination of espionage thriller and romance offers a tantalising hook for audiences to grab onto, however, the disappointing lack of thrills and romance will likely leave audiences coming away empty-handed.
Directed by Janus Metz with a screenplay from Olen Steinhauser (who wrote the novel of the same name the film is adapted from), this adaptation would have been best suited as a radio play instead of the big screen. The direction, though solid, lacks any sort of visual spark when it comes to the presentation. Every scene consists of two or more characters engaged in important conversations that serve as long-winded exposition dumps for viewers. The steady drip-feeding of information is designed to build suspense and intrigue, though the bland execution fails to match the urgent tone the script is trying to set.
Pine and Newton, on the other hand, are incredible. The actors’ instantaneous (and flirtatious) rapport hints that the spark these characters once shared hasn’t been extinguished yet whilst the performers treat the roles with the seriousness the script demands. Given how excellent the leads are together, it will come as frustrating that little attention is given to the romance side of this flick. Aside from the odd flashback and telling glances in the pair’s performances, their love is something audiences are just told to accept is there, the lack of development of which severely undermines the impact of the finale (which itself renders the entire film pointless when scrutinised).
If anything, All The Old Knives should be seen as a demonstration of Pine and Newton’s talents more than an engaging thriller.
Andrew Murray
All the Old Knives is released on Amazon Prime Video on 8th April 2022.
Watch the trailer for All the Old Knives here:
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