All the Old Knives
Amazon Prime’s new mystery-thriller shuffles its narrative cards to preposterous effect.
Romantic agency: Thandiwe Newton and Chris Pine.
Essentially, All the Old Knives is a mystery-thriller that aspires to be a smart, topical, international blockbuster. In the event, it is an improbable hodgepodge blunted by its own narrative machinations. The real mystery is why actors of the calibre of Chris Pine, Thandiwe Newton, Laurence Fishburne and Sir Jonathan Pryce should be drawn to such risible material. If not for the ludicrous plot, but for the dialogue. Chris Pine: “You’ve convinced me – that you’re very convincing.” Thandiwe Newton: “Are you OK?” The characters speak like digital cues, not human beings, so it’s hard to care for or believe in anybody but the waitress serving Chris industrial quantities of multi-coloured wine. The venue is ‘Vin en Vie’ (more irony) in Carmel and when he gets there, Chris asks for a vodka martini. The bartender suggests wine, “White or rosé?” Chris replies: “Dry.” Right.
You wouldn’t think this was a hijack/hostage thriller as the movie struggles to be anything but. It’s unfortunate that Corey Johnson plays an agent in the film, as he was also in Paul Greengrass’s United 93, which was the last word in hijack thrillers. The comparison does not sit well. The film opens with a shot of a plane, a Turkish Alliance carrier, before cutting to a heavily bleeding air stewardess being dragged down the aisle of the aircraft as passengers look on in terror. But that was then. The present looms into an era when names like Putin and Merkel are bandied about and we discover that the suspense is meant to be built around the identity of a mole in the CIA’s Vienna office. But with crucial information being held from the viewer, we can but wait…. and wait as we marvel at the actors looking older and younger and then older again. Chris Pine adopts a grey drizzle around his chin, Thandiwe looks sensational in and out of her clothes.
With splashes of knowing irony like soda in a Babycham, the film zips all over the place, valiantly keeping the viewer on the back foot. We are in a Vienna that looks suspiciously like London (where it was filmed), in London itself (ditto), and California. Despairingly, the prologue is followed by the legend ‘Eight Years Later’, but then we have to fend for ourselves. Is this Soho pretending to be Vienna or are we really in a Fleet Street pub with Jonathan Pryce possibly playing an American? Thandiwe Newton is definitely an American, as she’s relocated to Carmel-by-the-Sea, Monterey County. Chris Pine can’t help himself.
Then, when it’s all over, Amanda Bergman breaks into song over the closing credits with a lush number called ‘Lovesong.’ OK, so All the Old Knives is a romantic mystery-thriller. And, as there are no thrills, the accent remains firmly on the mystery.
JAMES CAMERON-WILSON
Cast: Chris Pine, Thandiwe Newton, Laurence Fishburne, Jonathan Pryce, Corey Johnson, Jonjo O'Neill, Ahd Kamel, David Dawson, Nasser Memarzia, Orli Shuka, David Bedella, Dar Dash, Gala Gordon.
Dir Janus Metz, Pro Mark Gordon, Steve Schwartz, Paula Mae Schwartz, Nick Wechsler and Matt Jackson, Ex Pro Chris Pine and Neil Burger, Screenplay Olen Steinhauer, from his novel of the same name, Ph Charlotte Bruus Christensen, Pro Des Marcus Rowland, Ed Mark Eckersley and Per Sandholt, Music Jon Ekstrand and Rebekka Karijord, Costumes Stephanie Collie, Sound Steve Browell, Dialect coaches Roisin Carty and Carter Bellaimey.
Entertainment One/Chockstone Pictures/Big Indie Pictures/Potboiler Productions/Jackson Pictures-Amazon Media.
102 mins. USA. 2022. UK and US Rel: 8 April 2022. Available on Amazon Prime. Cert. 15.
