All the Old Knives is an American spy thriller released in April 2022. The movie was an adaptation of the 2015 spy novel All the Old Knives by Olen Steinhauer. To help bring the novel’s story to life, director Janus Metz Pedersen worked with a great cast of actors.
The movie’s storyline is centered around the CIA’s discovery that one of its agents has gone rogue. When a plane containing 100 people was hijacked in 2012, the CIA was surprised when the terrorists got information about their secret operation.
Eight years later, in 2020, the CIA confirmed a leak from its Vienna station, reopened the case, and assigned veteran operative Henry Pelham. Henry must travel to interrogate his former lover and colleague, Celia Harrison, to unravel the truth.
These are the cast and characters in the novel adaptation of All the Old Knives.
Henry Pelham (Chris Pine)
Credit: All the Old Knives
Chris Pine plays the lead role of Henry Pelham, a veteran CIA operative. During the 2012 hijacking that caused the death of 100 passengers, Henry was in a romantic relationship with Celia. One of the things he never got closure for was why Celia left him and Vienna the next day.
When he was assigned the reopened case, with suspicions that Celia was involved in the agency leak, he was more than happy to take on the job. Henry meets up with Celia at a restaurant to discuss what happened on the day of the hijacking.
Celia Harrison-Favreau (Thandiwe Newton)
Credit: All the Old Knives
Thandiwe Newton breathes life into Celia Harrison-Favreau’s character. In 2012, she was a CIA agent working in its Vienna station. With the hijacking of flight 127 by armed Islamic terrorists, the Vienna station quickly jumped on the case.
A CIA courier who happened to be on board sends out a message intercepted by Celia. The courier gave intel to the CIA to attack the plane from its undercarriage. Celia tries to understand who’s responsible and connects with one of her sources, Mohammed.
Although a meeting is set, Celia goes over to discover the source has no important details. When the CIA courier on the hijacked plane sends another message stopping the attack on the plane, Celia finds discrepancies in the nature of the messages. Things go awry as the CIA courier is killed and thrown off the plane, then the terrorists kill themselves and all passengers.
Celia makes a possible connection between the terrorists and an agent within the CIA Vienna station. Her findings make her leave the station permanently.
Vick Wallinger (Laurence Fishburne)
Credit: All the Old Knives
Veteran Hollywood actor Lawrence Fishburne plays the character of Vick Wallinger. Vick is the head of CIA’s Vienna station and Henry’s boss. When CIA Headquarters connects the dots and discovers a leak, they contact Vick Wallinger to find the mole.
Vick informs his best operative Henry to be in charge of the operation. Vick informs Henry the mole is suspected to be his former lover and colleague Celia. Regardless, Henry chooses to take up the case. As his boss, Henry would report all findings from his investigation of Celia back to Vick Wallinger.
Bill Compton (Jonathan Pryce)
Credit: Bill Compton
Jonathan Pryce has starred in a couple of notable movies and TV series, like Pirates of the Caribbean, Game of Thrones, and The Two Popes. Jonathan Pryce plays the character of Bill Compton. Compton was the second-highest-ranked officer at the Vienna office in 2012.
Compton also doubled as Celia’s boss. Outside work, Celia and Compton also share a friendly relationship. Celia considers Compton a father figure and role model. When Henry is assigned the reopened case to interrogate Celia, he drops by Compton’s to accuse and have him openly confess to being the mole.
After the confrontation, Compton apparently calls Celia to inform her that Henry is on the case and will be coming for her. At first, it’s hard to understand Compton’s role in the flight 127 hijacking and massacre.
Ilyas Shushani (Orli Shuka)
Credit: All the Old Knives
The CIA believes Ilyas Shushani is responsible for the hijacking of flight 127 and the murder of 100 passengers. However, they are yet to discover the mole working with him from the agency. Later findings will put a connection between Ilyas Shushani and Henry.
In the early years of Henry’s career as a CIA officer, Ilyas Shushani was his informant in Russia. Henry is forced to give away the identity of Ilyas Shushani to the Russians as part of international diplomacy.Jonathan Pryce
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