The Amateur
The Story Betrays An All-Star Spy Revenge Thriller
Rami Malek is far from an amateur; he makes this clear in his latest film, where he plays Charlie Heller in James Hawes’ The Amateur. Unfortunately, Malek’s performance (along with those of his co-stars) is where the praise for this film ends. A cast of highly-qualified actors makes the film enjoyable, but ultimately, it fails to leave us feeling satisfied.
Heller (Malek) works for the CIA’s decryption and analysis department, using supercomputers and glorified spy gadgets to handle highly classified information. When he receives encrypted documents from a secret informant, he discovers that a series of U.S.-led drone attacks were reported as suicide bombings. Conveniently, for the narrative (though not for Heller), only a day later, his wife Sarah (Rachel Brosnahan) is killed in a terrorist attack while on a business trip in London. Heller threatens to go public with the drone strike information unless the CIA helps him avenge his wife’s death by providing him with training and a new identity.
At first glance, this story seems compelling: a nerdy, computer-savvy CIA employee goes rogue to avenge his late wife. But the execution falls short. The film relies heavily on technology, which Heller—and the computers he operates—seem to wield far better than anyone at the CIA. It becomes almost frustratingly easy for Heller to locate the bad guys and deceive his superiors. While the CIA (or, in some instances, Russian intelligence) may possess such technology, it all feels too convenient for the story.
Like most engaging revenge thrillers, one would expect The Amateur to feature high-stakes shootouts, high-speed chases, and thrilling fight scenes. However, since Heller lacks combat skills (or the willingness to kill, for that matter), we witness creative deaths that give Heller the illusion he is sparing them by allowing them a slim chance to escape. The most notable scene (Heller detonating a sky pool, causing Marc Rissmann’s Mishka Blazhic to fall to his death) has already been spoiled by the trailer, while the others are simply boring.
While Malek convincingly portrays Heller and commands the screen, Hawes and the writers (Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli adapting Robert Littell’s novel) fail to provide the audience with adequate chances to connect with him. We remain distanced as he uncovers the drone files, navigates his grief, and kills in increasingly elaborate ways. The film prioritizes exposition scenes over character development, but I’m uncertain how much there would be to explore had we been granted the opportunity. Still, Malek impresses with what he has been given.
Heller admits he can’t give up his quest to find his wife’s killers and return home, stating he can’t, “because she’s not there.” His rogue mission for justice appears merely to be a distraction from his new reality, leading one to wonder if he is truly better off in the end.
