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The Amateur Review

Rating: 3/5

Synopsis:

Charlie Heller is a soft spoken coder who works for the CIA. He lives a quiet life away from the city with his wife. After she is shockingly killed in a London terrorist attack, Charlie seeks the help of the agency. After they refuse to get involved, he decides to take matters into his own hands. He uses his intelligence to go after the people who murdered his wife, calculating plans to take them out. Does Charlie have it in him to become a killer and avenge his wife’s death?

Positives:

This is a film that provides audiences what they’re looking for. Almost telegraphed from the trailer, which is both good and bad. The premise takes a person who is largely peaceful and academic by nature who uses his anger to develop skills he never thought possible. Rami Malek is a good choice for a character who mixes awkwardness with intelligence. Since his demeanor isn’t intimidating, he proves to be a good foil for those who underestimate him. The rest of the supporting cast do a nice job as well. It’s a shame Rachel Brosnahan didn’t get more screen time though. This is a story that has few surprises but has enough spy material to give fans of the genre what they want. 

The film begins on a very strong note, where Charlie’s life is established nicely. Once his wife is killed, we see him processing grief in a way that feels relatable. But he also has a newfound rage that is understandable, something that makes his character more dynamic as the film goes on. His relationship with Laurence Fishburne’s character is also an interesting one, where he begins as Charlie’s trainer who ends up coming after him when the story gets more complex. The film has a few unpredictable moments, particularly when Charlie pulls the rug out from under those who are following him. In a film that is predictable otherwise, that was a nice surprise. 

Negatives:

Predictability has its pros and cons. For “The Amateur” this hinders the film in its important moments. The trailer essentially choreographs how the story will go and what will happen in the end. Sure, there are a few surprises along the way…but I want a spy thriller to raise the tension and keep us guessing throughout the story. The pacing of the story comes in waves, where there are very slow scenes that transition to Charlie putting his plans into place. If the story escalated events in a way that raises the stakes better than the payoff would have been stronger. 

The story has lots of conveniences to propel the story forward as well. Charlie makes a lot of mistakes along the way that likely would lead to his downfall. The story rushes through certain elements that could have helped the audience grasp the situation better. I wish the story felt like it was building to something greater too. While the payoff was satisfying enough, the journey there felt a bit too safe. The film does its job, it doesn’t stand out in many ways.

Conclusion:

“The Amateur” is one of those fun late night streaming movies. It doesn’t demand to be seen on the big screen nor does it do much to stand out in this genre. But it does feature a fun underdog storyline that most audiences should sympathize with. It has some surprising moments within its predictable plot. It’s not a must see by any means but it will scratch the itch within the spy genre that are few and far between these days.