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Costume Design: Kirsten Dunst looks like money in "The Two Faces of January" Costume Design Featurette


I'm on page 186 of Patricia Highsmith's 313 page The Two Faces of January; I'm hoping to finish my reading and get my take on the book up before the film adaptation gets its release on August 28th. My feelings so far? It's delicious.  The story, a beautiful, young woman and her rather unsavory older husband, 'vacationing' in Greece, are thrown together with an opportunistic young expat who offers to help them out of a very dire pickle. It's suspenseful and full of sexual tension that I can't wait to see translated on screen, with Viggo Mortensen and Kirsten Dunst as the husband and wife, "Chester" and Colette, and Oscar Isaac as the attractive young man, Rydal.



Here's how Rydal responds to Colette in Highsmith's book. 

"Where're you from in the States?" she asked.
"Massachusetts," he said. 
"I'm from Louisiana. But so long ago, I haven't any accent, I think."
 She had a faint Southern accent, and Rydal had noticed it. He said nothing, only stared at the back of the armchair by the floor, as if he waited the appearance of her black suede pumps and her shapely but quite solid ankles there. Then they appeared, and Rydal's eyes moved upward from the ankles to her calves, to the swell of her hips, her breasts, and fastened on her eyes, as Chester opened the door.
Chester looked from one to the other of them, then set the suitcase on the floor with a thud. His hand was full of new green bills. "So--here we are," he said. "

I took a look at some of the costume choices in my first post on the movie back in May.  Rydal(Oscar Isaacs) tells "Chester"(Viggo Mortensen)  and Colette(Kirsten Dunst) their clothes look like money; as you can see from this still, they do! For more on the exquisite clothing, check out this featurette on the costume design. 




Part of the pleasure will be the wardrobe and the Greek locations but mostly, it's going to be all about that sexual tension and the notching up of the suspense.


Take another look at the trailer and get thee to a bookstore - or your kindle, nook or whatever - and if you haven't already, read this novel before the movie comes out.