The Amateur

The Amateur is the newest film from director James Hawes, starring Rami Malek as Charlie Heller, a government analyst who loses his wife in a terrorist attack. Following this tragedy, he decides to blackmail his bosses into giving him just enough field training that he can hunt down and eliminate the people responsible. Of course, the bosses do not take kindly to blackmail and decide to figure a way of taking Charlie out without compromising themselves any further. If this sounds ridiculous, it is but in a highly enjoyable, sit, eat your popcorn and have some fun way. This is also not strictly a revenge tale, as it does ask deeper question.

Courtesy 20th Century Studios

While it never reaches the heights of a film like The Conversation or even Enemy of the State, the film is on a par with the Bourne films, though its tone is somewhat lighter and the camera work less frantic. Based on a Cold War novel by Robert Littell, the screenplay by Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli updates this to the current age, asking questions about ethics and duty that feel all too important given the current climate. This is not a film about snappy one-liners or epic speeches. Instead, it focuses on who, how and why these people are the way that they are, though we get a little less insight into the two nefarious CIA chiefs played by Holt McCallany and Danny Sapani.

Caitriona Balfe, exquisite in Outlander, is superb in a vital supporting role, while Laurence Fishburne lends strength and wisdom to his role as Heller’s trainer, who is then tasked with tracking him down and taking care of the problem. Indeed, there is not a false performance in the film. While some characters get more depth than others, the acting across the board ranges from solid to superb, with Malek turning in a complex portrait of a man driven over the edge by grief.

Courtesy 20th Century Studios

There is a ton of impressive location work, and, like the Bourne films, this one finds itself hopping around Europe, Russia and the western parts of Asia. Given the level of common surveillance in these places, it is easy to buy the film’s premise. Unlike the Bourne films, this one remains serious without ever becoming dour and yet retains a certain element of fun. Not in the sense of a National Treasure, but more like the aforementioned Enemy of the State.

Hawes, who directed One Life, about Nicholas Winton, who saved hundreds of children during the Holocaust, here proves that he has an ability to balance somber material with a touch that is light and respectful without ever becoming cloying or preachy. Yet, the film is not perfect. For all the good there is, we have seen this before. We have seen it done better and we have seen it done far worse. Had this film come out five years ago, would it have played the same? Probably not.

Courtesy 20th Century Studios

There is nothing new here in terms of what it means to order or commit murder and other atrocities. Ultimately, the film wraps up a bit too neatly, being ever so slightly too clever for its own good. This does not prevent it from being worth one’s time, though. You will not find yourself guessing what comes next, and if you have seen more than a couple films in this genre, you mostly know what is to be expected. In this sense, it is like comfort food, and serves as a delightful junk snack. That said, it has moments of real emotion, thought and care, which prevent the film from falling into the also-ran trap of similar work.

The Amateur is now playing in theaters.