All the Old Knives

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"All the Old Knives holds an extraordinary cast and an interesting premise, but Janus Metz's uninspired execution turns a movie with immense potential into yet another generic work with little replay value.

Chris Pine and Thandiwe Newton shine as the protagonists, and their astonishing chemistry transforms a simple dinner into the most captivating storyline of the entire narrative. However, the constant shifts between different timelines and distinct perspectives withdraw energy, pacing, and focus from Olen Steinhauer's decent screenplay.

Furthermore, Laurence Fishburne and Jonathan Pryce are criminally underused. It's far from being a non-recommended flick, but it leaves a somewhat bitter feeling by the end."

Rating: C

The scene is set in a fine restaurant where "Pelham" (Chris Pine) and ex-girlfriend "Celia" (Thandiwe Newton) and sharing some wine and considering who betrayed them many years earlier when their CIA operation around the hijacking of an airliner in Vienna went wrong. Ostensibly, "Pelham" is leading an investigation into the identity of the mole - it could be either of them, for all we know, or it could be their boss "Compton" (Sir Jonathan Pryce)... Sadly, though, John Le Carré this isn't. The narrative uses Pine's character as the conduit to interrogate all the potential suspects, and sadly that drags us into the solidly melodramatic aspects of his relationship with "Celia". On the plus side, that allows him to do what he has been trying t...