Overview
After his life is turned upside down when his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack, a brilliant but introverted CIA decoder takes matters into his own hands when his supervisors refuse to take action.
A CIA decoder, Charlie (Rami Malek) finds his entire world ripped down when his wife is taken hostage and killed in a London terror attack. Using his skills to trace those responsible, he presents his findings to his superior, Holt McCallany’s Moore, only to find that they already knew and had no intentions of taking action, saying they want to continue monitoring to take down the entire operation, not just a handful of individuals. Charlie, instead, plans to take action himself and blackmails his boss into letting him be trained and supplied to undergo the task. Agreeing to his demands, whilst they find a way to remove his bargaining chip and dispose of him, the agency don’t take into account the computer skills of Charlie, and underestimate how effective this amateur with no combat experience could be, as Charlie sets off to bring down those who wronged him.
There’s nothing especially new in here. Effectively a mash up of Jack Ryan and The Bourne Identity, it plays out pretty much as you would expect from start to finish. Agency cover-ups, secret dealings, and conspiracies are the name of the game here as Charlie shuttles from one world location to another, taking down the individuals who killed his wife. However, whilst there isn’t anything new on show, the slickness of style, and the inexperience of Charlie, keep you engaged enough to enjoy the ride.
Malek in the lead channels his Mr Robot awkward energy well, and his performance more than compensates for the generic tale on offer. Having Charlie not be a trained killer, and so having to use his smarts in elaborate ways to deal his revenge, keeps the key set pieces fresh, but it is certainly in how Charlie handles being responsible for such killings that the film builds its strength. Offering support around Malek are Laurence Fishburne as Henderson – a CIA academy trainer who is tasked with coaching Charlie until the agency can dispose of him – the aforementioned McCalleny who plays to his own strengths as the untrustworthy head of the department, and Jon Bernthal who is a field agent who is friends with the awkwardly introverted Charlie. These all flesh out the drama, but never steal from Malek as Charlie, who maintains the central dominance on screen.
The Amateur isn’t anything special, but it is a solid espionage thriller that is worth passing some time with.