Ironically, The Amateur turns out to be an amateurish piece of cinema. The kind of film reminiscent of a weekend rental you’d pick up on a whim from Blockbuster in the 2000s, but then discover that it did nothing to enhance your Saturday night. While technically sound, the story elements are as dull as Rami Malek’s charisma. It's a modern action film that takes the revenge formula of competent counterparts such as Taken (2008) and John Wick (2014), yet fails to meet the same standard due to a lack of fury and passion.
Our journey begins with weightless exposition. We’re asked to believe that Heller (Rami Malek) and Sarah (Rachel Brosnahan) are an authentic couple despite no chemistry between them. When Heller is informed that his wife was killed in a terrorist attack in London, rather than reacting as if his world had been torn apart, it is as if he realised that he was going to be late for a concert due to a traffic jam. As a result of this lacklustre reaction, we’re unable to feel the loss of his wife. It’s hard to pinpoint whether this poor attempt at authenticity was down to the performances, directing, writing, or perhaps all are to blame.
Heller informs his bosses at the CIA that he wants to be trained to become a killer so that he can enact revenge on those responsible for his wife's murder. His small physique and lack of masculinity result in mockery from his employers; however, they send him off to be trained by Laurence Fishburne, who also doubts the geeky spy’s competency, insisting he’s unable to make someone who’s not a killer, a killer. Despite the barriers that are presented to him by others, Heller is determined to hunt down Sarah’s killer and reverts to using his skills of intelligence and craft as a substitute for embodying the instinct of a killer.
Heller demonstrates his skill set by delivering a presentation to the CIA on how the terror attack unfolded step by step using surveillance footage. This is the only part of the journey that's truly engaging, as you admire Heller’s competency at telling a story more captivating than the one in which he is the central character. This particular scene is reminiscent of when Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) in Taken (2008) demonstrates his skill set in being able to track down the individuals who took his daughter. It’s at this point when you wish you were watching Taken rather than The Amateur as you analyse what this particular journey gets wrong.
There were high stakes in Taken as Bryan Mills had only 96 hours to ensure that he’d find his daughter. However, no high stakes exist in The Amateur. With Heller’s wife already dead and no indication that trouble is heading his way, the only drive is revenge. However, this doesn’t mean that this sole driving force inevitably results in poor storytelling. You just have to look at stories such as The Last of Us Part II as fine examples of plots powered solely by revenge that are incredibly immersive. What The Amateur fails to learn from The Last of Us Part II is that you need to make the audience want to seek revenge to create storytelling that is engaging.
Heller justifies his motivation for revenge by insisting that Sarah “mattered”. That may have been the case for him, albeit not showing it clearly, but she certainly doesn’t matter to us. Perhaps if we witnessed her getting shot in the head, we might be so appalled by the antagonists' brutality that we wish to see a similar fate for them. However, such a moment is censored from us, unable to feel any fury or rage, as you conclude there is no reward for seeing this journey through.
Taken thrived on a fast pace, delivering a highly emotive and intense journey within a comfortable hour-and-a-half running time. The Amateur clocks up two hours of our time, but for no good reason. The action fails to excite, as you wish the deaths were more punchy or violent to compensate for the weak forces of antagonism. The only tension this journey was able to produce is a scene in which Heller has to unpick a lock using a YouTube tutorial video within a matter of seconds as the homeowner is approaching meters away. However, this moment isn’t worth the price of admission.
The technicalities of the plot aren’t too easy to follow as you struggle to comprehend who’s who, or at least fail to keep your attention focused on the details. There is somewhat of an interesting confrontation with the enemy in the final act; however, just when you thought it might lead to something insightful, it falls flat. The film concludes with a message about an individual defying expectations and reaching above their perceived limits, but it fails to hit deep or inspire. No matter which big names are attached to The Amateur, it cannot compensate for dire storytelling that keeps its intentions and emotions at a distance, if there were truly any to begin with.
Out in UK cinemas 11th April
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