The Amateur

The Amateur Movie Opens April 11!

My games and puzzle reviewer loved this movie!

Charlie Heller (Malek) is a brilliant, but deeply introverted decoder for the CIA working out of a basement office at headquarters in Langley whose life is turned upside down when his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack. When his supervisors refuse to take action, he takes matters into his own hands, embarking on a dangerous trek across the globe to track down those responsible, his intelligence serving as the ultimate weapon for eluding his pursuers and achieving his revenge.

The Amateur, based on Robert Littell’s novel of the same title, is a classic revenge story! It starts out slow and even-paced, introducing us to the characters, letting us know who they are and how they work. Then, it ramps up to a fast-paced action movie. Charlie Heller is a code-breaker at the CIA. His wife is off in London for a conference. A terrorist strike at the conference venue changes their world forever. Charlie, an unlikely action hero – more brains than brawn – is out for revenge. He puts himself into the field, at odds with his training and his bosses. Charlie, the reluctant traveler, is now moving across Europe to balance the scales. Although he is not marksman, he has something even better than a gun. His revenge strategy develops and evolves so well that any CIA director would be proud to have him on operations. There is a secondary story line that revolves around the CIA and how it operates. It is an uncomfortable watch, in these times, but Charlie brings it all right in the end (spoiler!), running a masterful double play that helps him make all the right calls.

The Amateur is a great movie! Every element of this movie is just about perfect. Director James Hawes has a real talent for bringing a book to life (if you haven’t watched his Slow Horses series, you must!). He moved this 1981 story into the 2020s effortlessly – you’d think the story was written last year. Every actor is just the right person for their role, from Rami Malek as Charlie Heller to Julienne Nicholson, as CIA Director O’Brien. The music is stunning, keeping the tension high throughout. The locations are well chosen, matching the moods of the story. And the special effects are A+, especially the swimming pool scene (that’s all you get about that – no spoilers!). This is a movie you’ll want to watch in the theater and, if you can, watch it in IMAX. It felt like I was in every scene. For the parents reading this review, The Amateur has a PG-13 rating for violence and language, but everything that happens is relevant to the story. There’s no gore, horror, or sex. I don’t even remember any bad language, but I swear like a sailor, so I might have missed it.

Directed By: James Hawes.

Written By: Ken Nolan, Gary Spinelli.

Produced By: Hutch Parker, Dan Wilson, Rami Malek, Joel B. Michaels, JJ Hook.

Cast: Rami Malek, Rachel Brosnahan, Jon Bernthal, Michael Stuhlbarg, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, Adrian Martinez, Danny Sapani, Laurence Fishburne.

Buy tickets here! Rated: PG-13.