The Amateur

Talk about one of the most accurate titles, except...he's not 100%.

A REAL Amateur wouldn't be able to do half of what he did. Maybe not even 20%. He was really a CIA Nerd with lotza brains.

But, this was really Jason Bourne all over again, with someone not as skilled. Just partially there. Heck, even the music was close to Bourne's.

CIA Computer Geek Charlie Heller's lovely wife whom you KNOW he's designed with is murdered in a London Terrorist attack. Heller just wants his bosses to do the right thing: murder the murderers. When they won't, he sets off to do the deed in a revenge plot from someone who can't pull the trigger, but can do so much worse.

I generally don't watch trailers, but I did happen to catch this one and it did spark my interest. It did seem very formulaic, clichéd and predictable...and then I saw the movie. Remy Malek already won an Oscar for Bohemian Rhapsody and frankly, deserves another for this role.

He really was THAT good. Everyone else, standard and did their role. Remy gave it his all. Never once did I not believe ALL that he was going through with his plot for revenge against his wife's murderers.

And for him to remind me of one of my favorite action/spy trilogies of all time (The Bourne Identity/Supremacy/Ultimatum) that's a welcome surprise. I actually found myself wishing this was part of Jason Bourne's universe.

This was SUPER SMART, advanced, intelligent and still simple enough to follow along. It's certainly not as fast-paced/action packed as the Bourne movies, but it feels more real than they did.

I don't think this movie will make too much. And that's a shame. We need more movies like this produced every year.

***

Final Thoughts: The AMC Bartender asked me if I was seeing Minecraft and I said, "No. I might be a bit too old for that." To which, she replied, "Oh, yeah by a long-slide." Ouch. Granted, the demographics apparently are for toddlers so no offense taken.

"Amateur" starts off feeling pretty standard, but it grows on you. Think early 2000s spy thrillers-nerdier, more grounded, and rough around the edges. It doesn't try to reinvent the genre, but it leans into its simplicity with confidence. The pacing is fine-not too fast, not too slow-and while the story isn't particularly complex, it holds your attention. Rami Malek brings a steady, watchable presence, and the ending wraps things up in a way that feels satisfying.it's a solid, no-frills spy flick. One of those movies you watch without big expectations and walk away pleasantly surprised. Totally worth a shot on a chill night.

7.25/10 STARS - Saw this was based on a book and now I'm interested to listen to the audiobook (narrated by Scott Brick, who is a fantastic narrator). The movie itself was pretty good, and I enjoyed it. There were some issues here and there with conveniences when it came to his ability to get things done and some moments where suspension of disbelieve was required. Perhaps this was partly because it felt like there was a lot omitted along the way, not clearly showing us how he was able to accomplish what he did. Maybe some more scenes showing him having to figure out how to get to where he needed to be in order to sabotage something would have been good (like in the swimming pool scene). But since this movie was already more than two hours long, I suppose it might be a bit much to show us everything. I liked that we got a good feel for the main characters intense grief over the loss of his wife and his determination to make everyone pay - yet totally out of his element when it came to the brutality of face-to-face killing. Video review will be available on my YouTube channel shortly.

And a new franchise is born. Falling somewhere between Jason, Bourne and James Bond, with a dash of the tech guy from Mission impossible, Remi Malik's The Amateur is a wonderfully entertaining and intelligent thriller, with extraordinarily strong supporting acts from just about everybody else involved, including an excellent Lawrence Fishburne, really on form here in a part which gives him real substance for once.

In a year, which has seen its fair share of lack Gloucester movies, this is a real crowd, pleaser, and no doubt we do well in box office as well as on home screen screens. Malik is exceptional believable, and as usual, evoking real emotion.

Hey Hollywood -- we need more movies like these. Not a remake. Not a sequel. Dramatic. Something ANYBODY over the age of 12 could be taken to, AND enjoy. This is the first decent movie I've seen in months. I'd go to the theaters every week, if there was something to see.

Back to the movie. Interesting premise. Not a whodunnit. More of a "howsHegonnadoit". Acting on the whole was was fair -- but the main plot characters kept it going well. Remind Malik, Caitríona Balfe, Laurence Fishburne, Rachel Brosnahan -- all gave great performances.

The pacing was good -- knowing how many revenge subplots were going to happen kept the movie moving without me checking my watch.

Thank you for an original movie.