Eight years is too long a wait to investigate a mole. You have a spy organization? You know there’s a leak? Don’t wait eight years to investigate. That seems like common sense; I’m surprised I have to tell you this stuff.
Once upon a time … there was a hijacking. And like all hijackings, evil flourished. This particular one involved a random terrorist group and a commercial airplane on a Vienna tarmac, but all of that is tangential to the story. The hijacking took place in 2012 and, suffice to say, it was big enough to grab the attention of the world. The local CIA office moved swiftly; within minutes, they’d already made a dog’s breakfast of things.
In 2020, Vienna CIA boss Vick (Laurence Fishburne) decides he wants to take a new look at the case. Again, why eight years, pal? Worth note that Vick was in charge in 2012 as well. Two of his agents at the time, Henry (Chris Pine) and Celia (Thandiwe Newton — When did Thandiwe acquire a “w” in her name?), were having an adult relationship. Two days after the hijacking, they ceased having a relationship at all. Hmmmm.
Unhappy with the lack of resolution, but apparently not so unhappy it couldn’t wait, Vick re-opens the case and asks Henry –still his employee- to play enforcer. You just know his path ends where Celia is, right? Celia is now half a world away, happily married, and a mother of two. But it’s not like you’re gonna turn down a date with Chris Pine, right?
This is, of course, next level awkward. It’s not just a “why did we break up?” get together, it’s also a “why did you comm
it treason?” Huh, what wine do you suppose goes with treason? I’m thinking red, maybe a Chianti or a Shiraz; what do you think? This old lovers, old grievances, new peril is the point of All the Old Knives; it’s like watching My Dinner with Andre assuming that at least one of them would be dead before the check arrived. Rude.
All the Old Knives held my attention. I won’t go further. I’m still questioning eight years and I’m puzzled none of the players weren’t questioning it, too. There’s a big difference between “slow-moving justice” and “eh, I’ll get to justice eventually. Maybe.” I mean you don’t just put treason on the back-burner, do you? And this wasn’t even the back-burner, this was treason filed and forgotten. Oh, ok. All the good stuff is told in flashback in this film – and there’s even a flashback in a flashback, which is a silly and dangerous piece of screenwriting. But I still cared enough about what happened to pay close attention during the climax.
That being said, I think I generally prefer new knives.
The CIA investigated a hijacking
And then gave; their ambition all lacking
But to unearth a mole
The org paid a toll
It took eight years and careers of unpacking
Rated R, 101 Minutes
Director: Janus Metz
Writer: Olen Steinhauer
Genre: Debriefing
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Espionage fanatics
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: People who can’t get over wondering what you’b=ve been doing for eight years
