By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
There is nothing amateurish about
"The Amateur," a gripping and stylish spy thriller from director
James Hawes (TV's "Slow Horses").
Based on
Robert Littell's 1981 novel, the film weaves a suspenseful tale that's elevated by sharp writing from screenwriters
Ken Nolan ("Transformers: The Last Knight") and Gary Spinelli ("American Made"), and an emotionally charged performance by
Academy Award winner Rami Malek ("Oppenheimer," "The Little Things").
Malek stars as Charles "Charlie" Heller, a brilliant and ambitious CIA cryptographer working at the headquarters in Langley, Virginia, and living a quiet, happy life with his wife, Sarah (the always-excellent Rachel Brosnahan, TV's "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel").
But their carefree morning together, filled with laughter and inside jokes before she leaves for a work trip to London, ends up being their last.
Tragedy strikes when terrorists storm Sarah's hotel, taking hostages--and ultimately killing her. The brutal attack, broadcast across the news, rocks Charlie to his core. He learns the devastating details not from the media, but from his bosses: Director Moore (Holt McCallany, "Mission: Impossible--The Final Reckoning"), who heads the CIA's Special Activities Center, and top agency director Samantha O'Brien (Julianne Nicholson, TV's "Hacks" and "Paradise").
Consumed by grief and frustration, Charlie demands to be trained so he can hunt down those responsible, which is an idea met with disbelief by Moore and his colleague Caleb Horowitz (Danny Sapani, "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare").
Reluctantly, they turn to retired field agent Colonel Robert Henderson (a commanding Laurence Fishburne, "Transformers One") to whip Charlie into shape.
At first, Charlie seems anything but a threat. He lacks any traditional field experience but slowly, Colonel Henderson begins to see a quiet, relentless determination in him. Maybe this analyst isn't so out of his depth after all.
Helping Charlie on his rogue mission is savvy hacker Inquiline Davies (Caitriona Balfe, "TV's Outlander") and a shady but loyal contact from his past known only as The Bear (Jon Bernthal, "The Accountant 2"), who owes him a favor.
But Charlie has one man firmly in his sights: Horst Schiller (Michael Stuhlbarg, "The Instigators"), the mastermind behind the attack.
What makes "The Amateur" truly compelling is the methodical, almost surgical way Charlie enacts his plan for revenge. While high-tech gadgetry and cyber jargon often bog down similar thrillers, here they serve a real purpose, drawing us deeper into Charlie's world and his mission.
And it is Malek who holds it all together. He brings such emotional depth and nuance to Charlie that you can't help but root for him, even when he strays into morally grey territory. He's not a traditional action hero—but that's exactly what makes him so effective.
The film's action sequences, which take place throughout London, Paris and Istanbul, are absolutely riveting, especially one jaw-dropping set piece involving a collapsing rooftop pool.
Sure, Jason Bourne may still be the gold standard of rogue spies, but Charlie Heller--thanks to Malek's sensational portrayal--earns his place in the vigilante hall of fame.
Don’t underestimate "The Amateur." If you do, you'll miss one of the most surprising, emotionally satisfying, and exciting movies to kick off the spring/summer movie season.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays now at 5:17 p.m. and 6:47 p.m. on radio station KFBK 93.1 FM and 1530 AM.
Watch This Trailer For
"THE AMATEUR"
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), The American Film Institute (AFI), and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards.
