When his supervisors at the CIA refuse to take action after his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack, a decoder takes matters into his own hands.
Chuck says:
For the most part, James Hawes’ “The Amateur” eschews action set pieces, taking a more cerebral approach in this globe-trotting adventure that sees a tech analyst best the James Bond-types again and again. Combining the fish-out-of-water trope with a standard revenge thriller, the result is a film that plays against expectations throughout, the viewer surprised along with the big screen bad guys who, like us, underestimate the titular hero.
Heller (Rami Malek) is a CIA decryption analyst whose world is upended when his wife (Rachel Brosnahan) is killed in a terrorist attack while attending a conference in London. Seeking assurances from his superior, Director Moore (Holt McCallany), that all will be done to apprehend those responsible, he soon realizes he’s being gaslit and other agendas are at play.
Far smarter than most in the agency’s employ, Heller uses his unusual skill set to gather intel about the terrorist cell, targeting four of its leaders. Intent on tracking and killing them, he’s able to supply himself with fake passports in the hopes of stealthily traveling through Europe. Obviously, there are more than a few hurdles for Heller to clear, chief among them the CIA itself, once Moore is informed his analyst has gone rogue.
Not so foolish to think he can pull this off on his own, Heller gets help from a variety of sources. Henderson (an underused Laurence Fishburne) is an aging spy who tries to convince him he’s in over his head and that killing a man isn’t as easy as he thinks. Then there’s Inquiline, the code name for an anonymous ally Heller’s never met, who has alerted him to brewing threats in the past. Tracking this person down to enlist their aid face-to-face proves a key towards achieving his goal.
What ensues is a cat-and-mouse-and-cat game as Moore dispatches agents to bring Heller in, while his boss, Director O’Brien (Julianne Nicholson), sends out her own detail to apprehend him before the others track him down. And just whose side veteran spy, The Bear (Jon Bernthal) is on is anyone’s guess.
The fact that everyone underestimates Heller leads to the film’s biggest and most intelligent surprises. The screenplay by Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli puts our hero in seemingly inescapable situations, only to offer up plausible avenues for his escape. He’s fully aware he’s not cut from the same cloth as traditional agents – his visit to a firing range, powerfully drives that home. Yet, his ability to manipulate electronic devices, fashion a variety of homemade bombs, and knowledge of security systems makes him a formidable foe.
It’s a very clever premise that never wears out its welcome, Malek being the key to convincing us Heller is capable of surviving. The actor is convincing throughout, bringing a poignancy to the character’s trial, both in displaying his grief and awareness regarding the toll his actions are taking on his soul. This is an issue that comes up repeatedly and it’s to the film’s credit that it doesn’t treat the killings as acts that occur in a vacuum. This comes to a head during the film’s clever, unexpected climax, Heller’s revenge proving something we don’t anticipate.
Whether Hawes and his crew filmed at the myriad locations on display, I’m not sure. However, much like the Bond features, there’s an international flavor to the movie that underscores the lengths Heller takes, while giving the production a high gloss feel.
While “The Amateur” will not be confused for a Jason Bourne thriller, it proves to be a refreshing take on the standard spy movie. Car chases and vast hidden lairs may be missing but in their place is a story that stimulates the mind, which is as rewarding as triggering those pleasure centers wired to appreciate a good explosion.
3 1/2 Stars
