When his supervisors at the CIA refuse to take action after his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack, a decoder takes matters into his own hands.
It’s usually best to achieve things yourself. You can’t blame anyone for the outcome except the person in the mirror. We all know our amount of will more than anyone, and it’s up to us ultimately to accomplish our goals. We only know what we have been taught or exposed to, but what do you do when that’s not enough? It’s a thought or question that most humans can relate to, and that’s what leads us here. Director James Hawes (One Life), in his latest film The Amateur, attempts to address this through thrilling action, espionage, and drama. After the wife of a decoder working for the CIA passes away, he’s left with no option but to intervene. Seeing that he has no experience in the field, and lacked the required talent, it appeared as an underdog story that you could root for. Will he adapt to his new-found lifestyle or realize he has no other rightful place but behind a computer screen breaking down code? This is the question that was raised before viewing this film.
It helps that you like the main character Heller (Rami Malek), the CIA decoder. He doesn’t remotely look tough or intimidating. He’s a nice guy overall. He’s responsible, caring, and calming. A friendly guy who’s not a fighter, but will speak up in the face of injustice. Probably not your number one pick to go bar hopping with, but his company would be appreciated at the average after-hours work function. His presence immediately makes you feel you can trust him. His resolve should be studied as well. The way he addresses authority to get his point across while trying to stay respectable is commendable. He eventually transforms into a Juggernaut force that won’t be stopped until he receives answers. Again, this isn’t achieved physically, and also wouldn’t be realistic if it were. He uses his wit and attainable resources in this government agency to get what he wants, which are answers to who killed his wife.
He’s joined by The Bear (Jon Bernthal), and Henderson (Laurence Fishburne). Unfortunately, Jon Bernthal’s character, The Bear, was completely wasted. Given the actor’s level of talent and what he can achieve physically from previous roles (The Walking Dead, The Punisher), his involvement here was barely existent or just a wasted opportunity. Henderson’s role has significantly more screen time but is still a bit misleading, failing to reach his full potential. He’s the expert who trains Heller to become great but still falls short of being as great as he could’ve been.
Now if you’re pulling up to the theater for non-stop action, you won’t get your typical hand-to-hand combat in a tight hallway after some long chase scene. There’s action, but more from the mind. What clever traps and devices Heller can conjure up to seize the day is what you’ll receive. It’s all entertaining, just set your expectations up correctly. Some may find this more interesting because the brutality expected after someone’s wife is murdered is absent. Most people aren’t killers and can’t morph over to a cold-blooded lifestyle of executing someone at close range even if it is justified. These revenge plots in this story are much more torturous and personal but can be more satisfying.
The film lasts for 2 hours and 3 minutes, which I find too long. The first act of the film was the best, and the conclusion was decent, but the middle and the 2nd act dragged on far too long. It took a while to get from point A to B, with characters moving around the world with fancy subtitles that seemed to go nowhere, leaving you asking yourself when it’ll get to something good. Certain characters also die in this film unnecessarily. You spend so much time with them, then they die, but there’s no emotion tied to it. Instead of feeling like I lost someone I was close to, it felt like a waste of time. There was no emotional weight to it. The secondary villains of the film were a great addition and might have saved it. They ended up just prolonging the runtime with a bit more physical action that could’ve saved the day. This film didn’t meet my expectations. It entertained and technically passed with flying colors, but there’s nothing special about it that will make it memorable.
Official Clip:
“You Surprise Me Charlie” Official Clip:
Featurette:
