Film ● Review: The Amateur
- Very Average Joe
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Title: The Amateur
Director(s): James Hawes
Screenwriter(s): Ken Nolan & Gary Spinelli
Studio: Hutch Parker Entertainment
Released: 2025
Runtime: 2h 2m
Starring: Rami Malek, Rachel Brosnahan, Caitríona Balfe, Holt McCallany, Laurence Fishburne
My Verdict: Spy thriller with a guy who can’t shoot, which is refreshing. Solidly produced. Steady pacing. Some elements can be better developed; definitely not a bad film but nothing spectacular either.
● The film is based on the novel of the same name by Robert Littell. I have not read the novel so the review is of the film only.
● CIA cryptographer and analyst Charlie Heller (Rami Malek) is an expert at what he does. Socially, he is a little shy and awkward. His wife, Sarah (Rachel Brosnahan), goes on a business trip in London and is then killed in a hostage situation. Meanwhile, Charlie receives evidence from an informant, “Inquiline”, that his boss, Alex Moore (Holt McCallany), had been conducting false flags as part of his black ops.
● Grieving and dissatisfied with CIA’s apparently lack of progress in going after his wife’s killers, Charlie blackmails his boss into allowing him to receive field training and go after the killers himself. So, Moore plays along and assigns Henderson (Laurence Fishburne) to train Charlie…
● The premise is moderately intriguing. Charlie can’t shoot but he is good at putting devices together, and he is capable of hacking surveillance and using information/misinformation. So, whilst a spy thriller, it is not an action-thriller which is refreshing.
● The plot is basically Charlie going after his wife’s killers one by one. It’s not a hectic gauntlet run, more like stepping stone. His boss also goes after him since Charlie claims to have a deadman switch. His boss plays along because he has no choice, but Charlie is prepared for his boss going after him too.
● The pacing is steady and just quick enough to keep things interesting without rushing.
● However, some events happen a bit too conveniently. For example, some instances of hacking seem to happen too quickly, and evading a Russian team seems a bit unrealistic.
● The major problem is that whilst the film does not rush things, which is good, it does not manage to convey Charlie’s grief. He sees Sarah as he goes about his business. This is a good technique and it is thankfully not overdone to the point of cheese, but it is difficult to do in a two-hour film.
● To compensate for Charlie’s lack of field skills and therefore gunfights and hand-to-hand combat, the plot also relies on his boss going after him. This is good but these elements (people and methods) can be better developed for more intrigue. The film is not trying to be like the Bourne franchise, but it can use a bit more complex evasion sequences and suspense.
● Visually, it is shot nicely. It mostly uses a cooler palette so it looks pretty sleek. There is a variety of shots: some tight, off-center shots to convey, at least mildly, Charlie’s grief and the occasional handheld to draw the viewer into the action. Contributing to that is the film editing by Jonathan Amos which is seamless.
● Every shot fits the scene. This is a compliment to the director James Hawes and cinematographer Martin Ruhe but, ironically, is also criticism in a way. Every shot is so fitting that overall, the film comes across as lacking style. In other words, it can be more stylized to give the film its own signature.
● Overall, it is a solidly produced film. It mostly looks good although some elements such as the minor characters can be better developed. The pace is steady and Malek mostly sells it. Although it is difficult to find significant faults beyond what is mentioned, there is nothing spectacular either. It is definitely not a bad film, but it is difficult to classify it as a great film.
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