James Hawes (One Life) directs this vigilante spy thriller about Charlie Heller (Rami Malek), a CIA cryptographer who defies his superiors to avenge the death of his wife (Rachel Brosnahan) in a London terrorist attack. (123 min.)
Glen: This marks the second time Robert Littell’s 1981 novel has been adapted for the big screen, the first being a 1981 Canadian film starring John Savage. I’ve never read the book, and I don’t recall seeing the other film, so I can’t attest to how this film measures up to its source material or cinematic predecessor, but it’s a fairly common plot—a man out of his depth seeks justice for a slain loved one in a dangerous world. In this case, Charlie is a smart guy. We’re told his IQ is 170. During the course of his job, he discovers his boss, Director Moore (Holt McCallany), has been hiding accidental drone attacks on civilians under the guise of terrorist bombings. So Charlie blackmails Moore into accessing field training under a CIA operative named Henderson (Laurence Fishburne) so he can go after his wife’s killers, including the ringleader Schiller (Michael Stuhlbarg). Henderson tells Charlie he’s not a killer. The fun is in finding out how far Charlie’s willing to go.
Anna: Charlie has to use his brains to figure out how to best all of these bad guys. Even though he’s told by Henderson that he’s not a killer, he’s bound and determined to find a way to be. I like Malek as an actor. He has a measured steadiness and quiet depth that always proves interesting on-screen. I hadn’t heard of this book or the ’80s movie before, but I will say that the premise seemed a bit wild to me when I first heard the synopsis. That holds true, but I do like a story where a smart guy outsmarts the corrupt overlords, and that’s what happens in The Amateur. We’re watching Charlie work through his kill list and what that does to his psyche, and we’re watching as CIA Director O’Brien (Julianne Nicholson) starts to piece together that the good ol’ boys in her department are being less than truthful when it comes to what’s really going on. This film felt a bit plodding to me, but it also had moments where it really picked up. Its 6.7 rating on IMDb makes sense to me; it’s just north of middling.
Glen: Yes, it’s no Three Days of the Condor (1975), that’s for sure. Still, it felt smart to weave appearances by Charlie’s dead wife, Sarah, into the storyline either as flashback memories or fantasy daydreams. Charlie is an introvert, and even though Sarah invited him to join her at an overseas conference, he said no because he always says no. The guilt of not being there for her is what drives him. You do have to suspend your disbelief that this guy who’s never traveled and who can’t stand up for himself is transformed into such an effective operative in these various European countries—but hey, we don’t go to the movies to watch average people being average. I would have been fine watching this at home, but if it sounds like your jam, it’s worth a matinee.
Anna: At one point, Charlie meets up with an anonymous whistleblower (Caitríona Balfe) who he seems to have an established online relationship with, and, for a brief moment, he isn’t working alone. I think that was my favorite segment of the film. I also could have watched this at home, and I quite frankly probably would have been distracted by my phone or my dogs, but if a little bit of on-screen vengeance is what you need, then a matinee feels just right.
New Times Arts Editor Glen Starkey and freelancer Anna Starkey write Sun Screen. Comment at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Apr 17-27, 2025.
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