The Amateur Review
A slower paced spy thriller, there’s a lot to like here; but some of the more cliche elements and the structure hamstring the film.
CIA analyst / tech boffin Heller (Rami Malek) is distraught when he finds out his wife Sarah (Rachel Broshanan) has been killed by four terrorists in a London-set hostage situation, but even more distraught when he finds his boss Director Moore (Holt McCallany) isn’t doing much about it. Blackmailing the CIA into training him, he then busts out of their care and jets off to Europe to hunt down and kill the four terrorists responsible, with CIA operative Henderson (Laurence Fishburne) on his tail.
The Amateur has quite a nice concept at its centre - a slower paced, spy thriller that toys with intriguing explorations of grief and morality. It’s a concept that occasionally rears its head, but it never really feels quite ‘cooked’; a little underdone throughout. Sometimes it hits, sometimes its a bit much, and sometimes it's forgotten about entirely.
This is a film that has many flaws. Firstly, there is the pacing, which while admirable, does have some major structural issues that create problems. There is a lot of set up at the start, and while it probably is no more exposition and world-building than any other film, it feels like they are doing a lot; perhaps a representation that it isn’t being done well.
Secondly, there is the action, which is sorely lacking. The big action set pieces don’t really land, and there aren’t that many of them. This is a lot more of the talky spy thriller, which would be fine, if the dialogue was there to support it; but Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy this is not. Instead, it’s riddled with cliches that can really grate.
Finally, there are the hodge podge of side characters that often do more to detract from the story than give it depth. One wonders exactly why, say, Jon Bernthal is cast in this blink and you’ll miss it role, that serves entirely no point, or why Michael Stuhlbarg is here. The sheer breadth of characters on display can lead you to be somewhat uninvested in the full suite.
Despite all of that, there are MANY things to like about this movie. While it doesn’t always have the dialogue to back it, there is something nice about sitting in a more talky spy thriller, and the way that they delve into the tech assassination techniques available to Heller can be quite fun and novel; one wishes they leant into this more. Rami Malek is great, even through some questionable script choices, and really holds the film together. Visually, there are also some highlights, with some of the cinematography on display being quite arresting, and while it’s probably not high on your list of reasons you might buy a ticket to the film, the wardrobe work is fantastic.
Overall, The Amateur can be a little disappointing at times; particularly if you were expecting a spy-world set version of Law Abiding Citizen. This is a more thoughtful piece, for sure, which could have been very compelling had it been given, ironically, a little more thought and a little more restraint. As it is, it serves as a reasonably watchable film, but not essential viewing.
