All the Old Knives
Spy games often make for good amusement and the late summation to the storied musical style , Amazon Studios’All the Old Knives , is solid , but not incredibly memorable . Directed by Janus Metz , the pic is based on the novel of the same name by Olen Steinhauer ( who also pen the handwriting ) and has plenty of the intimate tropes present in decades of espionage story . All the Old Knivesis a tricksy speculation largely held up by performance from Chris Pine and Thandiwe Newton . It tells an intriguing story , though there ’s a good probability that many audience appendage will be able to predict the last twist before it arrives . in the end , All the Old Kniveslacks institution , but it still serves up an entertaining ride thanks to Pine and Newton ’s winding dynamic .
Though mostly set eight year after the fact , All the Old Knivesrevolves around the devastating outcome of Flight 127 . hijacker drive over the plane when it landed in Vienna , and despite the apparent good efforts of the CIA agents stationed there , over 100 surety lost their lifetime . In the present twenty-four hours , Chief of Station Victor Wallinger ( Laurence Fishburne ) recruits veteran soldier caseful military officer Henry Pelham ( Pine ) to determine whether there was a jetty ferment among them during the hijacking . Henry seeks out his former co - worker and ex - lover Celia Harrison ( Newton ) and , over the course of one repast , unravels the truth behind what happened on that fateful day .
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The cat - and - mouse game that ensue between Henry and Celia makes for some good intrigue , but it takes a piffling moment to settle in . Steinhaur ’s screenplay briefly introduces Flight 127 before jump ahead eight years , directly to the second where Vic tells Henry about the likely mole . It ’s a jarring changeover , but Metz clearly wishes to get mightily into the nub of the story . From there , All the Old Knivesflits freely between the past times and the present where Henry and Celia baby-sit down for their " audience , " with editors Mark Eckersley and Per Sandholt work to keep the transitions liquid . The overall impression this has on the story is it keep the deep history of these quality at the head of their present Clarence Day fundamental interaction , and for the most part , it works well . However , the constant cutting off back and forth inAll the Old Knives ' early scenes cause for a muddled introduction to this world and these character . Once Celia begins her story , thing sink considerably .
To his credit , Steinhaur does keep audience suppose about the truth behind the suppose mole . Henry seems to think that there ca n’t even be one , but it ’s clear-cut thatAll the Old Knivesis gearing up for a vainglorious reveal . There is a wrench that upends what has been antecedently revealed , but whether it is genuinely surprising might look on the individual viewer . There are clues about who might be creditworthy , and consultation members intimate with spy tropes can likely work out the the true . Up until that reveal come , Metz keeps things moving at an engaging tread . Celia walks Henry and the interview through the 24-hour interval Flight 127 was take over , and there is some actual suspense in her chronicle . Whenever the action at law does shift to the interior of the plane , Metz ups the little terror and uneasiness to the head where some might recover it unsettling to watch out . Overall , though , All the Old Kniveskeeps its attention firmly on Celia and Henry ’s lengthy lunchtime meetup . Having the two main character stay in one post for much of the present day ’s action would head for the hills the risk of exposure of keeping things dead if the story did n’t frequently trim elsewhere . Metz also decides to occasionally weave in piece of Henry ’s conversation two week prior with another former co - proletarian , Bill ( Jonathan Pryce ) . This is undoubtedly done to sow additional incertitude in the interview , but it is less effectual than the flashbacks to Flight 127 .
As the central pair , Pine and Newton make an appealing duo . Pine is every inch the suave spy who is confident in his power , and he hints at Henry ’s hidden profoundness without really prove his hand . Newton , meanwhile , keep a cool outside that gets to break through more and more as the celluloid goes on , both in the past and the present . Supporting players like Fishburne and Pryce are solid , but are n’t give much to do overall . All the Old Knivesis really a showdown between Newton and Pine , though their world could ’ve been amend by a bit more depth from everyone else . Still , their dynamic is compelling .
In the end , All the Old Knivesmakes for a dead entertaining movie night . It might not be the sort of photographic film that sticks with audience , but it has more than enough machination to keep viewing audience invest . The jumping from the past times to the present muddle up the obstetrical delivery a moment and largely gives the mental picture Metz want to represent a spy game of his own with the hearing . Anyone seem for a classic espionage thriller will likely be ease by the intimate way this unravels , and that ’s not a unsound affair . Even average spy movies can be fun .
More : Watch The All The Old Knives Trailer
All the Old Knivesis playacting in select house and is on Prime Video Friday , April 8 . It is 101 minutes long and rated universal gas constant for gender / nudity , violence , and terminology .
Thandiwe Newton and Chris Pine in All the Old Knives
