When first encountering the trailer for The Amateur, it quickly came off as if Rami Malek was trying to be the next prestige actor to take on more of an action-star aesthetic. That actually did not turn out to be the case with this movie. Early on, it becomes reflective of major studio espionage thrillers from the 70s and 90s.
Early examples include classics such as Three Days of the Condor and The Parallax View, with later comparisons falling to Jack Ryan flicks such as Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger. Malek certainly goes for the Robert Redford/Harrison Ford charisma, while reflecting more of a meek protagonist as the script is clearly calling for. Ultimately, this is not the action film one might have initially expected, but that is not the issue the film faces. This is a thriller that relies more on the intuition and intelligence of its protagonist, as opposed to his physical capabilities.
I would best describe this as a grounded version of a Bourne movie. Our protagonist is a rather reserved man whose value to the CIA is his ability to crack codes and puzzles. It’s actually quite realistic to what working within the CIA offices might be like. He’s a simple man with hobbies, a dedicated husband, one whose charm to his wife is the general simplicity that defines him.
When his wife is murdered during a terrorist attack while attending a conference in London, a fire awakens a sense of rage inside of him as he becomes adamant to undergo a quest for revenge against her killers. The thing is, his own employers are working against him, expressing a complete notion that they don’t want him involved in the case. This brings out bold themes that actually criticize abuse of power within such organizations and open the door for the intelligence-driven angle that defines the protagonist.
The Amateur is most compelling in its first half. The development of its conflict is much more engaging than what it all culminates to. It feels like once the pieces of the puzzle are put together, the final image on the puzzle isn’t as captivating as the image on the puzzle box. Most of its second half succumbs to what feels like slow filler because its best ideas have already been executed.
Eventually, viewers may find themselves sitting around and waiting for a compelling climax that in the end just feels as underwhelming as its second half narrative.
Final Thoughts
The Amateur is not without its saving graces, preventing it from being what I would personally call a bad movie. Malek was a good casting choice for the protagonist, especially because of how his persona may come off as wooden. This plays off the idea of a timid man with no real CIA field experience being thrust into the heart of danger and crucial decisions. The aftermath of such a scenario is shown to affect him, which makes its character study elements more engaging. Butin the end, the mission runs out of steam at a certain point and the result of its objective doesn’t exactly feel like its mission was fully accomplished.
3/5
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Adam Khromachou has been a lifelong film watcher. It all began in 1989 at the age of 6
when his mom took him to see Tim Burton’s Batman. From then on, he knew cinema
was his passion. By the age of 8, he was learning about actors, directors, and even
began exploring the history of cinema. At the age of 12, a big turning point occurred
when he watched Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. It was the moment he really started
diving deep into films outside of the action and comedy genre and looked to explore
more classic cinema through breaking down the film’s notable influences. He obtained a
Bachelor's and Master's degree from Arizona State and in 2021, he launched his TikTok
channel Sunset Loner Cinema where he reviews and ranks films, as well as providing
in-depth cinematic retrospectives. His content can also be found on Instagram and
YouTube. He is also an avid user of Letterboxd and considers himself a cinema purist,
believing that films should be experienced in theaters without interruptions or
distractions. His favorite films include Pulp Fiction, GoodFellas, Cinema Paradiso, Jaws,
and The Big Lebsowski. He is also the co-host of the podcast Before We Were
Streaming.