All the Old Knives — Review

Chris Pine and Thandiwe Newton star in All the Old Knives, a slow-burn spy thriller directed by Janus Metz and based on the novel by Olen Steinhauer, who also adapted the story for the screen.

Eight years after the CIA team stationed in Vienna failed to save the lives of 120 people aboard a hijacked plane, the bureau receives a tip that the hijackers had inside help. Veteran operative Henry Pelham (Pine) is tasked with investigating members of his former Vienna team, including his ex-lover Celia Harrison (Newton), whom he has not seen since she abruptly left after the tragedy. Despite reassuring his boss that he no longer harbours feelings for Celia, it’s abundantly clear that he’s still in love with her.

Now retired from the CIA and living in California with a husband and kids, Celia has tried to leave the past behind her, but it comes creeping back when she meets Henry for dinner—with a side of interrogation—in Carmel-by-the-Sea. The spacious, glass-walled restaurant overlooking the ocean as the sun slowly sets provides a gorgeous backdrop for the reunion, which is filled with lingering questions and simmering chemistry. It also contrasts the muted, cool hues of the past as the film interweaves flashbacks throughout dinner.

The film uses multiple timelines and perspectives to draw out the story of Flight 127, uncover the mole, and determine why Celia abandoned Vienna (and Henry) so suddenly. Alternating between timelines gives the film fluidity, interrupting the otherwise static setting of the present, and yet sometimes it suffers from jumping between timelines too much. The film also alternates between Celia and Henry’s perspectives as they each reflect on moments from the past.

It’s a story that largely focuses on Celia and Henry’s relationship and places events and other characters solely in relation to them, to the detriment of the plot. The lack of other character development, particularly regarding the other team members, makes the narrative somewhat predictable, although Jonathan Pryce and Laurence Fishburne add notable depth despite their minor roles—Pryce plays Celia’s boss, Bill Compton, while Fishburne plays the Vienna team leader, Vick Wallinger. Pryce is at least given more to do and work with, and it’s a pleasure as always to watch him on the screen. Meanwhile, the other team members are given brief introductions through voiceover narration as Celia recalls the past, but they remain in the background, second to Celia and Henry.

That said, Pine and Newton carry the film well as they give solid performances and share great chemistry. Newton really shines in her role as Celia. The pair are particularly compelling to watch in the present as their characters attempt to read each other, seeking answers beneath their guarded masks, and their attitudes and body language subtly shift throughout dinner. The film’s use of close-up shots also help capture the details and strength of their performances. The plot’s predictability means the conclusion is somewhat anti-climatic, but the actors are beautifully committed and make it meaningful and heartbreaking all the same.

Although the plot is a bit thin, All the Old Knives is an entertaining ride accompanied by a suitably suspenseful score from composers Rebekka Karijord and Jon Ekstrand. The slow-burn  nature of this tale of espionage and romance (not to mention its reasonable runtime of one hour 41 minutes) is a breath of fresh air, devoid of the usual slew of lengthy car chase scenes and gun fights that often pepper spy movies. It’s a quiet thriller rather than an action movie, and is the better for it.

All the Old Knives is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.