Amsterdam ☆☆

Starring: Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Alessandro Nivola, Andrea Riseborough, Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Rock, Zoe Saldaña, Mike Myers, Michael Shannon, Rami Malek, and Robert De Niro

Directed by: David O. Russell

Tagline: Let the love, murder, and
conspiracy begin.

ere’s what the mystery at the centre of Amsterdam is meant to be: who killed a retired U.S. General and why? Here’s the mystery the film leaves you grappling with instead: how can a project written and directed by a filmmaker as acclaimed as David O. Russell and starring the likes of Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, and Robert De Niro be this unimpressive? Because whatever its creators’ intentions may have been, boy do they fall flat here!

Russell takes inspiration from the real-life Business Plot, a 1933 political conspiracy, and then plumps the proceedings up with a whole lot of fiction till he creates an overlong, convoluted mess that bores more than it fascinates.

The death of the aforementioned military man intersects with the lives of three friends – doctor Burt (Christian Bale), lawyer Harold (John David Washington), and nurse Valerie (Margot Robbie) – who became close while serving in various capacities during World War I in Amsterdam. Now back in the United States, Burt and Harold find themselves unravelling a conspiracy after being approached by the deceased’s daughter who believes her father was murdered.

You would think things would unfold with at least a modicum of wit and suspense, what with this supposedly being a comedy thriller, but instead, everything lands with a resounding thud. The tone of the film doesn’t go with the story. The actual account itself is certainly interesting and while it may not seem intriguing enough for a feature length cinematic offering, there must have been a way to present it in a more engaging fashion. Russell, unfortunately, hasn’t found the right formula in this case. In trying to make the story more complex while embellishing it with arcs about love and kindness, he has ended up making it tedious and overlong instead.

The cast is stacked with big names, even in smaller roles, but there are times when things end up feeling a little artificial, like you’re watching people act. Bale is still terrific though; you just wish he was being terrific in a better movie.

From its unconvincing, meandering plot to the uneven, unexciting execution, Amsterdam feels like a missed opportunity and a waste of the considerable talent involved in the project. Perhaps with a different approach, the real-life events at its centre could have made for a fascinating thriller.

Rating system: *Not on your life * ½ If you really must waste your time ** Hardly worth the bother ** ½ Okay for a slow afternoon only
*** Good enough for a look see *** ½ Recommended viewing **** Don’t miss it **** ½ Almost perfect ***** Perfection