Writer Robert Littell became famous thanks to stories about spies who told about the dirty deeds of the CIA and the USSR. Littell's novel The Amateur already received a film adaptation of the same name in 1981, which is interesting to watch even today due to the unique transmission of the spirit and politics of the 80s. However, the political situation in the USA and in the world in general has changed, so one should not perceive the film adaptation as something relevant.
The Amateur is both a remake of the 1981 film and an attempt to adapt Littel's plot to modern realities with Oscar-winning Rami Malek in the lead role. As a result, the film crew got a down-to-earth, tense and, at first glance, realistic thriller, from the story of which it is difficult to tear yourself away. However, it is precisely the claim to a truthful approach to depicting the situations in which the protagonist finds himself that becomes the main problem of the film.
| Name | The Amateur |
| Genre | thriller, action, drama |
| Director | James Goves |
| Cast | Rami Malek, Laurence Fishburne, Rachel Brosnahan, Caitriona Balfe, Jon Bernthal, Galt McCallany and others |
| Studios | Hutch Parker Entertainment, 20th Century Studios |
| Timing | 2 hours 3 minutes |
| Year | 2025 |
| Link | IMDb |
Charles "Charlie" Geller (Rami Malek) works as a cryptographer for the CIA and has achieved outstanding heights in his chosen profession. However, harsh reality breaks into his life when Sarah (Rachel Brosnahan), Charles' wife, is killed by terrorists in London. The grief-stricken man wants justice, but the CIA is in no hurry to take decisive action, because Geller's boss Alex Moore distorts real events for the sake of domestic political intrigues supposedly in favor of the United States. The main character blackmails himself into training to be ready to deal with his wife's killers. But when Charlie has to chase terrorists and hide from the CIA at the same time, he finally comes to understand that you can only rely on your own mind.
From the description, it may seem that "The Amateur" is a typical film about "newbies" and revenge. The murdered wife as a motivation and clear goals for the murder are present - it remains only to package the script in the format of a journey through different countries with various confrontations. At the output, we could get something on the level of The Killer's Game or one of the latest parts of the Mission Impossible film series with Tom Cruise. However, the authors of the film shifted the emphasis, so it primarily resembles not desperate action films, but Tom Clancy's novels and related games from Ubisoft. However, this is not surprising, given the source.
Yes, there are shootings and chases in the film, but even their staging – chaotic, dark, almost physically difficult – immediately says that "The Amateur" is not trying to relish the bright scenes from the life of another CIA special agent who crossed paths with his own leadership. On the contrary, in the film, absolutely every action has weight, and the journey through different cities does not cause pleasure, but only emphasizes how abandoned and lonely the main character has become. Watching it can not be called easy.
In addition, Charlie is not a fighter, he cannot shoot accurately and hit painfully. On the other hand, he is perfectly versed in technology and is able to create a bomb from improvised means without much effort. And the general digitalization of the world allows Charlie to mislead even the CIA and learn all the necessary facts about terrorists thanks to banal access to a smartphone. In this, the new adaptation definitely wins over the original source: the emphasis on the interesting use of technology by a lone genius will definitely appeal to many viewers. And this is not the first time for Rami Malek to play a similar role, the memories of the outstanding achievements Mr. Robot are still alive with him.
However, even the technological machinations the film tries to demonstrate, if not realistically, then at least without excessive pathos and almost supernatural ease. However, this approach hides one of the main problems of the film. Too many moments in the script are resolved by methods that are ideal for the main character. For a more "light" story, this would not be critical, but the authors of The Amateur deliberately focus our attention on the fact that everything is serious and "like in real life". And "real life" does not work according to the rules of movie magic, when at the last moment everything can work out successfully, and a sudden meeting will move the story forward. That is why dissonance can arise when watching, especially when some really good and thought-out scene is interrupted by something simpler.
Moreover, the desire to show in detail how everything works in The Amateur is to the detriment of the characters. Even about the main character, the audience is told very little, and about his wife, who became the catalyst for the whole story, almost nothing at all. The other characters are more like functions and script tools than heroes of a work of art. Christopher Nolan sometimes sinned with something similar, when the idea and concept prevail over humanity and development of characters. Only in Nolan are the ideas so outstanding that one can close one's eyes to the "human sacrifices". In the case of The Amateur, this is more difficult to do.
But here's an interesting point: you start to notice such moments after watching. And not immediately, but after careful consideration. Because all two hours of running time will constantly keep you at the screen with new revelations, problems and dramas. There is even a place for a careful interspersion of humor. It is so unobtrusive and organic in The Amateur that you can't even find analogies. And this is a sign of truly masterful work.
Of course, in the context of real politics, watching the events of the film can be somewhat exhausting. Its setting and story are still bolder than most similar projects, because they are not afraid to demonstrate how the US government plays heroes and manipulates facts. However, even at this point, the screenwriters created a "safety cushion" for themselves, demonstrating that in reality not all people in power are like that, and justice can always be restored, because the guilty are not the top of the government. I have no doubt that questions about the ideological component of the story will definitely arise.
But overall, The Amateur still leaves a pleasant impression. Against the backdrop of total simplification of plots and directing of action films, in which style becomes more important than meaning, it is very, very pleasing to see something close to reality. The viscous atmosphere almost penetrates the cinema - and here you find yourself in a world of political and espionage intrigues, which is similar to ours, but is still capable of giving one person a chance to influence states and the whole world.
Is it naive? Absolutely. But is it bad? Absolutely not.