Movies

The Amateur’s fleeting pleasures are undercut by an inconsistent tone and stale visuals

BBG News

During the initial 16 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, I and my family mainly stayed at my mom’s house. We spent a significant amount of our time watching courtroom dramas and espionage thrillers that were produced after 1990 since they were among my mother’s favorite genres. Titles like “Enemy of the State,” “The Gingerbread Man,” and “The Hunted” were some of the ones we watched. Had it been available at that time, the new Rami Malek thriller “The Amateur” likely would have joined our viewing list. The old-fashioned movie “The Amateur,” directed by James Hawes, offered a refreshing change from the numerous humorous Deadpool copycats filling theaters during the first three months of 2025.

Regrettably, “The Amateur” comes with distinct flaws to make up for the absence of annoying one-liners.

According to Robert Littell’s book, the screenplay by Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli opens with Charles Heller (portrayed by Rami Malek) leading a peaceful family life. He is the top tech expert at the CIA, a crucial asset for the agency. His wife, Sarah (Rachel Brosnahan), is an exemplary woman. A short while after she leaves for work in London, Heller receives devastating news from his superiors like CIA Deputy Director Alex Moore (Holt McCallany): Sarah has been killed by a group of four terrorists during an attack. Deeply affected, Heller can’t seem to continue with his life as usual. Unsurprisingly, he then requests or coerces Moore and others for assistance. His desire is to be trained as an assassin so that he may track down those responsible for Sarah’s murder.

It’s clear that Heller doesn’t resemble action stars like Jason Statham or Charles Bronson and lacks a killer’s intuition. His training under Colonel Henderson (Laurence Fishburne) only underscores this fact. Truth be told, Heller is hardly capable of handling a firearm effectively enough to save his own life. It seems implausible that he could eliminate human beings. However, when Heller decides to act independently and journeys to Europe to seek vengeance, he starts employing cunning rather than brute force to eliminate his targets. Despite being an “amateur,” as the movie’s title suggests, don’t underestimate him, especially if you’re among those responsible for his wife’s death.

About halfway through the novel “The Amateur“, Heller is suddenly awakened in the dead of night by a person who has also experienced loss. This individual expresses no desire for anything sexual or financial from Heller; instead, they yearn for the simple comfort of sharing a bed with another human being once more. This poignant scene conveys immense power through these two souls grappling with the relentless agony of grief. It’s heartening to see that Nolan and Spinelli’s more subdued style in directing allows for such understated moments between characters in “The Amateur“. Additionally, it’s refreshing to find a revenge-themed movie taking the time to underscore that post-loss healing can come from sources beyond just traditional vengeance.

The film “The Amateur” thrives when it emphasizes the weaknesses of its main character, Heller. A scene early on, where Heller desperately tries to pick a lock while following a YouTube tutorial, had me gripping my chair tightly. His lack of expertise and the urgency of the situation were both palpable. Furthermore, “The Amateur” manages to keep its narrative confined, as Heller’s personal quest for revenge doesn’t collide with any global crises. Instead, it maintains a tight focus on him and the underhanded activities of the CIA that his superiors are involved in. Simplifying the screenplay in this way is refreshing, keeping the movie agile and focused.

Regrettably, the film “The Amateur” struggles with its own identity, attempting to blend elements of a thoughtful Alan J. Pakula production with the action-packed style of Tom Clancy. On one hand, it delves into Colonel Henderson’s somber discussions with Heller about the lasting impact of taking a life, only to swiftly transition into high-octane scenes where Heller eliminates enemies in intricate action sequences, complete with fast-paced editing and intense music.

In contrast, films by directors such as Miklós Jancsó or Martin Scorsese portray violent scenes in a detached manner, emphasizing the senseless brutality of war and revenge through cold, distant camera work. “The Amateur,” however, takes a different approach, glorifying its action sequences while undermining its more contemplative moments.

In a similar dilemma of balancing contrasting styles, Hawes and cinematographer Martin Ruthe’s visual approach finds itself torn. While they frequently employ expansive shots that set The Amateur apart from common Hulu or Netflix productions, wide-angle shots depicting Heller in his home or at a beachside residence effectively use vast open spaces. However, dialogues between characters are statically framed, lacking dynamic camera movement or intriguing split-diopter shots to alleviate the dullness of prolonged discussions. Action sequences, such as hand-to-hand combat and car chases, are poorly executed with their jerky editing and disorienting camerawork. Despite The Amateur‘s attempts at straightforward firearm-centric entertainment, its rough visual aesthetics may deter viewers from engaging with the on-screen action.

The majority of “The Amateur” offers unremarkable entertainment that may not offend viewers but fails to impress them with anything exceptional. There are moments of brilliance in this piece, such as casting Michael Stuhlbarg as the antagonist Sean Schiller. Not only is he an enjoyable presence on screen, but it’s clever to contrast Rami Malek’s relatable protagonist with a villain equally grounded. The bombastic composer Volker Bertelmann infuses the story with music reminiscent of Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross scores, although his compositions don’t reach their level of excellence, for instance, in “Hand Covers Bruise” or “Challengers: Match Point”. Still, Bertelmann’s tracks do exhibit some unique characteristics.

Regrettably, a significant portion of “The Amateur” seems more impressive in theory than practice. It’s one of those films that simply doesn’t live up to its predecessors in the spy thriller genre. I’ve seen a good chunk of these movies from the past few years, and many are superior to this one. Even Rami Malek’s lead performance, which is quite powerful in expressing deep sorrow, tends to echo his earlier roles as an actor. It’s intriguing to have a 2000s spy thriller back on the big screen. If only “The Amateur” had the same spark as the best of its contemporaries.

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2025-04-08 19:15

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