Summary:
The Amateur is a revenge-driven spy thriller about Charles Heller, a CIA cryptographer who goes rogue after his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack. When the agency refuses to act, he blackmails them into turning him into a field operative, setting off on a personal mission to hunt down those responsible. Adapted from the 1981 novel by Robert Littell, the film blends gritty espionage with emotional intensity.
Director: James Hawes
Writers: Ken Nolan, Gary Spinelli
Cast
- Rami Malek as Charles Heller
- Rachel Brosnahan as Sarah Horowitz
- Laurence Fishburne as Robert Henderson
- Caitríona Balfe as Inquiline Davies
- Michael Stuhlbarg as Sean Schiller
- Holt McCallany as CIA Deputy Director Alex Moore
- Julianne Nicholson as Samantha O’Brien
- Jon Bernthal as Jackson O’Brien, a.k.a. The Bear
Rotten Tomatoes: 66%
Metacritic: 53
VOD: Theaters
I saw this at the cinema last night. We all enjoyed it, although I’ll leave it a good while before I’d rewatch it.
Rami Malek is in a pretty similar role to his Elliot in Mr Robot, plus a bit of MacGuyver. Safe ground for him. Supporting cast was solid.
The plot moves at a decent pace, although without much in the way of surprises. Jon Bernthal’s character could be safely removed and the ending was a little anti-climactic.
Overall pretty decent with a disappointing ending. Bernthal’s character could’ve been cut and the movie would be no different.
