 "‘The Amateur’ movie review: Rami Malek impresses as hacker-turned-hitman in James Hawes' formulaic vigilante action-thriller")
Star cast: Rami Malek, Rachel Brosnahan, Caitríona Balfe, Jon Bernthal, Michael Stuhlbarg, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, Adrian Martinez, Danny Sapani, and Laurence Fishburne
Director: James Hawes
Rating: 3 (out of 5 stars)
Based on Robert Littell’s 1981 novel, The Amateur narrates the life of Charlie Heller (played by Rami Malek), a CIA analyst in Langley, Va. His life gets devastated after his wife, Sarah (Rachel Brosnahan), gets killed by terrorists during her business trip in England.
Now, Charlie wants to take revenge for his wife’s murder. He blackmails the CIA director (Holt McCallany) to train him for field work, or he will expose all the actions taken against U.S. allies with all the evidence.
The agency agrees and sends him to Col. Henderson (Laurence Fishburne) for weapons training. While Charlie is not physically strong, his hands-down computer skills compensate for it. So, how will Charlie take revenge on the terrorists? Will he succeed?
Since Charlie is a desk guy, we don’t see typical action-packed sequences, which made the film more logical and sensible for me. Despite being a typical thriller with a predictable formula, James Hawes has made it engaging and gripping through his storytelling.
Talking about the performances, it’s Rami Malek’s show all the way, who nails every emotion right from being helpless to vulnerable with ease and finesse. His journey from grief to revenge will make you glued to the screen. Rachel Brosnahan shines in her brief appearance with her magnetic screen presence, while Laurence Fishburne is firm as Henderson.
Caitríona Balfe, Jon Bernthal, Michael Stuhlbarg, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, Adrian Martinez and Danny Sapani have done their role to the T. Despite the runtime of over 2 hours, The Amateur keeps you hooked and entertained and satisfies you if you are a lover of the thriller genre.
The Amateur is releasing on 10th April
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