Rami Malek shines as an underestimated CIA analyst who seeks revenge following the murder of his wife in The Amateur.
The Amateur Overview
The Amateur overcomes a story with very few twists thanks to a terrific cast that settles into predictable character archetypes. As good as the cast is, most of them, Jon Bernthal and Julianne Nicholson are underused and barely necessary for the story.
Malek is excellent as Charlie, an unassuming CIA analyst who travels the world in search of the people responsible for killing his wife. Rachel Brosnahan does what she can to breathe life into a character mainly relegated to flashbacks and a few lines. Laurence Fishbourne, Holt McCallany, and Michael Stuhlbarg are also great in the hardened character types they’re known for playing. The biggest standout in the supporting cast is Caitríona Balfe, who serves as a confidant to Charlie. Balfe and Malek are given time to develop a chemistry that is sadly absent elsewhere.
The Amateur‘s story is predictable, but the film finds creative ways for Charlie to get his revenge without using a gun. The subject of what it does and doesn’t take to be a killer is interesting. It’s easily the best aspect of the training scenes with Fishbourne’s Robert Henderson.
The Amateur loses steam in the 3rd act but is saved mainly by Stuhlbarg as the film’s big bad.
Overall, The Amateur is a solid revenge thriller with a charismatic cast that’s unlikely to offer many surprises.
From The Amateur to Pro
The story based on Robert Littell‘s novel isn’t revelatory. Charlie’s wife is killed. Charlie, a highly skilled analyst, urges his CIA Deputy Director Alex Moore to take action. However, Moore decides to stall the investigation for a bigger score.
Charlie blackmails Moore by revealing compromising black ops missions ordered by Moore. Charlie wants mission-specific training. Moore agrees and assigns Henderson to train Charlie. While Henderson trains Charlie, Moore begins searching for Charlie’s evidence.
Charlie’s lack of physical prowess and shooting skills forces him to devise other means of getting to his targets. One skill he does pick up is explosives, which allows him to take them out without getting close.
Coverup
Charlie’s training comes to an abrupt end. Moore and the CIA uncover Charlie’s Bug. Charlie leaves for Europe before Henderson can take him out.
Moore and CIA Director Samantha O’Brien (Nicholson) begin a more subtle political struggle in DC. O’Brien wants the old black ops approach in the CIA to go away. Moore, a CIA veteran who served under multiple administrations, is stubborn and refuses to change his way.
Despite Charlie’s growing success, O’Brien focuses on stopping Charlie no matter what. If you’ve seen Mindhunter or Wrath of Man, McCallany can find layers in authority type or middle manager roles. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of interesting sides to play for McCallany or Nicholson.
Heart of a Killer
One of the concepts the film touches on and abandons as it sees fit is the concept of what makes a killer.
Every scene between Henderson and Charlie centers around whether Charlie has the stones to kill someone. Charlie proves he does throughout the film but doesn’t necessarily want to get close enough.
This sentiment is carried on by Sean Schiller (Stuhlbarg) and Jackson O’Brien (Bernthal). O’Brien is a CIA operative who is a loose acquaintance of Charlie’s before the death of his wife. He tries to get Charlie to end his vendetta but allows Charlie to choose.
Schiller and Henderson are more steadfast in their opinions that Charlie doesn’t have a killer’s heart. Eventually, Charlie uses this assessment to his advantage and gets the better of them at almost every turn.
The Amateur Final Thoughts
The Amateur is an above-average film thanks to Malek’s performance and creative action setpieces. A predictable story, rote characters, and wasted supporting characters hold the film back.
The Amateur
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Above Average - 6/106/10
