Explosive
Summary
The Amateur may seem like a familiar revenge tale, but it’s elevated by excellent performances and the idea of someone who isn’t ex-military going after the people who killed his wife is an interesting one. There is still plenty of action with a few fight scenes and explosions to keep things moving. The sound in IMAX was great too making this worth seeing on the big screen.
Plot: Charlie Heller is a brilliant CIA decoder whose world comes crashing down when his wife dies in a London terrorist attack. When his supervisors refuse to take action, his intelligence becomes the ultimate weapon as he embarks on a dangerous trek across the globe to track down those responsible.
Review: Revenge tales are as old as time and there aren’t too many new ways to tell the same old story, however, The Amateur brings a fresh sheen to a familiar genre.
I love the idea that our protagonist Charlie Heller (Rami Malek) isn’t some badass superspy who is invincible; instead, he is a computer nerd working for the C.I.A. with a brain. He uses his intellect rather than his brawn to go after the people who killed his wife; Charlie is socially awkward with few friends and comes across as a little OCD with his attention to detail.
For the first 30 minutes there isn’t much in the way of action, but The Amateur is never boring as it’s setting up Charlie’s plan for revenge and we are rooting for him all the way. We’ve all seen the swimming pool scene from the trailer which I always thought was lifted somewhat from Mechanic: Resurrection. Still, it’s an awesome scene and there is no shortage of action as we get a few fight scenes, shoot-outs and explosions.
Holt McCallany is one of those great character actors that rarely plays a leading role, but usually ends up stealing every scene and that’s the case here. He plays Charlie’s boss Moore who may or may not have his own agenda for preventing Charlie from going after the terrorists.
Laurence Fishburne also shines as Henderson, the man charged with training Charlie to prepare him for his mission of revenge.
The script is sophisticated with first-rate performances all round; Malek is perfectly cast as Charlie with his wiry frame meaning he isn’t an imposing figure, and I like the idea that it shows the consequences of violence.
In terms of flaws Jon Bernthal is a little underused and it is filmed with that overused desaturation effect which makes films look dull.
Overall, The Amateur is a classy revenge tale with plenty of action including fights and explosions while also giving us a sympathetic lead in Rami Malek. The concept of someone who isn’t a weapons expert taking revenge is something fresh and makes what could have been a generic movie into a riveting one.