The spy genre continues trucking along. We can look farther back than even James Bond to find the roots of spies and espionage on film. As technology developed, it’s only gotten bigger. The spies are getting cooler, but now there are so many of them. So, with that, we get The Amateur. Every spy has to start somewhere, right? Is this new espionage thriller bound to be the next James Bond? Or should The Amateur get a little more training?
The Amateur
The Amateur follows Heller (Rami Malek), who spends his days working as a CIA analyst. His wife (Rachel Brosnahan) is suddenly killed in a terror attack, throwing his life into chaos. Frustrated with his government’s lack of progress and with the spectre of scandal brewing below the surface, he resolves to take justice into his own hands. Jon Bernthal, Holt McCallany, Caitríona Balfe, Julianne Nicholson, Michael Stuhlbarg and Laurence Fishburne co-star in the movie. James Hawes directs The Amateur from a script by Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli.
Right from the start, The Amateur feels deeply recognizable. This is a familiar genre, especially for those of us who grew up in the 1990s and 2000s. The Recruit, Body of Lies, Spy Game and The Sentinel are just a few that spring to mind. Heck, spies have been hot for decades. While the technology feels like it might be the only new thing here, there’s something easy in this tried and true genre.
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Right from the top, it’s easy to see just how deep this cast is. There is a lot here for Rami Malek to do and to be brutally honest, he’s very “Rami Malek” in this one. Malek’s fans will certainly have a better time with this movie than those who don’t seek out his work. It’s not a bad performance, but do with that what you will.
Personally, I struggled to buy Malek in this character. The film tries to walk a very strange line with him. We hear repeatedly that “he’s not a killer.” We also hear “he doesn’t have it in him.” For much of the movie, this does make sense. In The Amateur, Heller is essentially Jason Bourne with all the luck but none of the skill. There are plenty of borderline eye-roll-worthy moments due to the sheer necessity of leaning on the suspension of disbelief. He makes so many questionable decisions, and Heller’s dumb luck is hysterical. Yet, some of these kills … wowza. All the characters saying he isn’t a killer, don’t know Heller.
At the same time, though, a truly stacked cast backs up Malek. Holt McCallany cuts a terrifying figure as Director Moore. I’ve only awoken to McCallany’s work in the last few years, but he’s a fierce and intimidating force every time he gets on screen. Meanwhile, Brosnahan and Balfe cut through the noise and craft beautiful characters. However, the greedy viewer that I am, I wanted so much more from both of these talented women.
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But for crying out loud, movie, how do you waste Michael Stuhlbarg? The always formidable actor is set up from the beginning to play a dominant role, but we don’t actually see him until deep in the third act. You never waste Michael Stuhlbarg.
As the movie plays out, though, what shines through is James Hawes’ direction. The up-and-coming filmmaker has largely been cutting his teeth on television. Aside from his 2023 feature film debut, One Life, he’s most recently worked on the television series Slow Horses. It’s probably not a surprise that Hawes shows a flair for fresh and sophisticated action. While The Amateur is primarily an espionage film, it shows deep roots in the Euro Action subgenre seen in films like John Wick and in the works of Luc Besson. It’s exciting to see where the young filmmaker goes from here. He has an eye.
In the grand scheme of things, I suppose The Amateur does its job. While I wasn’t a fan of a number of the film’s decisions, this is a servicable and often hard-hitting action film. We can’t go too deep without getting into spoiler territory. The Amateur isn’t quite Jason Bourne, but there are some interesting ideas at play here. Could we be in store for The Amateur 2?
The Amateur opens in theaters around the country on April 11, 2025.
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