An in-depth exclusive interview with director JANUS METZ uncovering the secrets behind the making of ALL THE OLD KNIVES.
With all the hallmarks of a Tom Clancy or John le Carre novel, ALL THE OLD KNIVES is a hard-boiled spy thriller that is absolutely riveting. Tension is unrelenting and keeps building until a final third-act twist that will leave you gobsmacked. Under the keen direction of JANUS METZ, Mark Eckersley shifts suspicions and plays one spy against another with rapier editing while cinematographer Charlotte Bruus Christensen steeps us in the past and present, building tension and palpable atmosphere with light and lens.
SYNOPSIS: “When the CIA discovers one of its agents leaked information that cost more than 100 people their lives, veteran operative Henry Pelham (Chris Pine) is assigned to root out the mole from among his former officemates at the agency’s Vienna station. His investigation takes him from Austria to England to California, where he is reunited with his one-time colleague and ex-lover Celia Harrison (Thandiwe Newton). The pair are forced to blur the lines between profession and passion in this riveting tale of global espionage, moral ambiguity, and deadly betrayal. Directed by acclaimed Danish director Janus Metz and written by Olen Steinhauer, the film also stars Laurence Fishburne and Jonathan Pryce.”
Directed by JANUS METZ with script by Glen Steinhauer, ALL THE OLD KNIVES stars Chris Pine, Thandiwe Newton, Laurence Fishburne, and Jonathan Pryce.
Engaging and candid, Janus discusses at length the many elements of bringing ALL THE OLD KNIVES to life starting with the plotline and the character work and character development which must work in sync. Wanting and needing the story to be emotionally relevant and present with palpable tension, the dynamic of the characters of Henry and Celia played by Chris Pine and Thandiwe Newton, respectively, was key and something Janus worked on with his actors to get to the heartbeat of their characters. Cinematography and the camera work and design of Charlotte Bruus Christensen were the cruces of elevating and visually narrating the story so that Janus could find the “cinematic truth” of ALL OF THE OLD KNIVES. Seeing all of the images of the film as a “third dimension” and backdrop to specific performances and the fluidity and physical nuance of each, Janus’ passion for this film is evident as he speaks. Buttressing the performances and the cinematography and the editing is the score that Janus viewed as taking us deeper into character exploration. A fascinating conversation with a consummate professional with an eye for storytelling.
TAKE A LISTEN. . .
by debbie elias, exclusive interview March 8, 2022
ALL THE OLD KNIVES is now streaming on Prime Video.
