‘ALL THE OLD KNIVES’: CHRIS PINE IS GOOD IN SLOW ESPIONAGE DRAMA
In a role unlike any I’ve seen from him before, Chris Pine takes on a serious persona in All the Old Knives, a drama from 2022 that I’m wondering why I didn’t see until now.
All the Old Knives (2022) Film Review
A number of years ago, while working in the Vienna CIA station, Henry (Pine) works with an intelligent and clever team led by the station chief Vick Wallinger (Laurence Fishburne). Among the team is Bill (Jonathan Pryce) and Celia (Thandiwe Newton), the woman Henry didn’t mean to, but has fallen in love with. On what starts as a normal day, Henry and Celia leave their home and discover a militant highjacker has taken control of a plane with over 100 victims on board. The CIA has 24 hours to meet demands or they die. Despite the man they have on the plane, the demands and intel yield no positive results, and everyone dies.
Bill leaves the CIA. Their tech genius, Owen commits suicide. Celia vanishes without a word.
Eight years later, and the CIA refuses to forget. Vick summons Henry with a task. He must discover who shared intel that led to these deaths. The only two people who could be the leak is Bill or Celia, and it’s Henry’s job to find the truth.
FILM REVIEW | ‘BEFORE AND AFTER’ IS UNIQUE SLOW-MOVING FAMILY DRAMA
‘ALL THE OLD KNIVES’: CHRIS PINE IS GOOD IN SLOW ESPIONAGE DRAMA. #ChrisPine stars in 2022 spy drama. See #ThandiweNewton and #LaurenceFishburne, too! Share on X
All the Old Knives is, much to my great surprise, very good. Between the plot and cast, it presents us with an intriguing story and one that concludes in a way that’s anything but happy. The one thing we do see as good is the truth of one character. Instead of the supposition we get to instead realize that isn’t accurate while everyone else remains haunted and seemingly not at peace over the events of that long 24 hour day.
The cast is brilliant and wonderful though the majority of the film is in conversation. The main setting is simple and in a restaurant as Pine and Newton recount these past events. They play their roles extremely well, though Michelle Williams was originally attached to star. Newton plays the haunted kind of woman very well while Pine, much to my surprise, plays this kind of dramatic and serious role well.
If you don’t mind slow intelligent dramas, then All the Old Knives is worth seeing. It runs a little long, but doesn’t “feel” as though its overlong. The film is unique and is kind of like more of an old-fashion story that is also oddly, quite entertaining. Just don’t expect this film to heal anyone.
Stream, at publication, this film exclusively on Prime Video
Photos: Alamy
Content: there are multiple instances of nudity. We see a couple undressing and kissing. A woman lays on the bed while a man places his hand on her nude body. We see a woman’s nude (front) body 2-3 times. A couple undress and fall into bed, having sex. We see them after, lying together. There is several uses of the f-word and other more minor profanity. The film is R.
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I hadn’t even heard of this movie. Thanks for sharing. I find myself watching less movies and more tv. I think their has been a quality shift.. they are making so many good tv shows now.
I’ve got way too many “in progress” shows right now! Some I’m loving and others irritate me. ;) But then I suppose writer’s do some of that on purpose, too – so we keep talking about them! Hope you enjoy if you see this one. :)