Star Cast: Rami Malek, Laurence Fishburne
Director: James Hawes
The Amateur Movie Review Synopsis:
THE AMATEUR is the story of a man trying to find his wife’s killers. Charles Heller (Rami Malek) works in the Decryption and Analysis department of George Bush Center for Intelligence, the headquarters of CIA in Langley, Virginia. His wife Sarah Horowitz (Rachel Brosnahan) goes to London for work for 5 days. She asks Charles to join her but he declines, citing work. A group of terrorists attack the hotel where Sarah’s conference is held. Sarah is taken hostage and a terrorist kills her. Charles is devastated. He uses his surveillance devices and his intelligence to identify the killers and even the whereabouts of one of them. He submits the report to CIA Deputy Director Alex Moore (Holt McCallany). However, his findings are not taken seriously. This is when he cleverly blackmails Alex and his associate Caleb Horowitz (Danny Sapani). Charles asks them to help him train so that he can go after his wife’s murderers and eliminate them; or else, he’ll expose their wrongdoings, which he has access to. Alex has no option but to comply. Charles is sent to the CIA training facility, Camp Peary, where his handler is Robert Henderson (Laurence Fishburne). Alex and his team are obviously unhappy with being blackmailed and they vow to destroy his life. Charles not only has to outsmart them but also train well so that he can face his wife’s killers, who obviously are professionals and hence, much more dangerous. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
The Amateur Movie Story Review:
THE AMATEUR is based on the book of the same name by Robert Littell. The story is fantastic and different from the rest of the action and spy films. Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli’s screenplay is tight but suffers due to several cinematic liberties.
James Hawes’ direction is engaging. The writing is such that one marvels at the smartness of the lead protagonist. At the same time, the protagonist is an amateur, as the title suggests. Hence, he even falters in places. Both these contrasting aspects are brought about wonderfully. The track of him losing his spouse is moving but the film goes on a different level once he starts to train. A few scenes that stand out are madness in the allergy clinic in Marseille, the chaos that ensues in the Madrid hotel and the chase sequence in Turkey.
On the flipside, the writing is also that of convenience. It is difficult to believe that after one of their officers went rogue, the CIA were left twiddling their thumbs. Agreed that the protagonist is super-smart and learnt his tricks, thanks to the CIA. Yet, to see the CIA being so helpless seems unconvincing. The protagonist also finds it easy to defeat his opponents. Lastly, the climax, though unexpected, fails to give a high.
The Amateur Movie Review Performances:
Rami Malek plays a complex and unconventional role with panache. His character is not a killer but he has gone out to kill. Hence, we see him hesitating and even chickening out at times. The way he brought out these aspects looks realistic. Laurence Fishburne, as expected, is too good but he’s let down by the writing. Caitríona Balfe (Inquiline) leaves a huge mark in her limited screen time. Holt McCallany and Danny Sapani are decent while Julianne Nicholson (CIA director Samantha O’Brien) makes her presence felt. Rachel Brosnahan is lovely. Jon Bernthal (Jackson; secret agent) is wasted. Marc Rissmann (Mishka Blazhic), Michael Stuhlbarg (Horst Schraeger) and Barbara Probst (Gretchen Frank) do well. Barbara needs special mention as her France scene is very memorable.
The Amateur movie music and other technical aspects:
Volker Bertelmann’s music is generic. Martin Ruhe’s cinematography is spectacular. The film has been shot in various parts of the world and it adds to its visual appeal. Maria Djurkovic’s production design is rich while Suzie Harman’s costumes are realistic. The VFX is very rich. Jonathan Amos’s editing is satisfactory but the narrative could have been crisper.
The Amateur Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, THE AMATEUR works due to its clever script, a few edge-of-the-seat scenes and Rami Malek’s performance.