El Amateur: operación venganza

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the cinema watching The Amateur. It should have been a short series maybe 4-6 Episodes as opposed to a feature film. I think 2 hours did not leave enough time for proper character development. For example the lead speaks about his great friend played by Lawerence Fisburn in a scene at the end of the film. We never really saw how the two developed that bond as there are barely 2-3 scenes with them together throughout the movie. It was fun though and I feel more so because I watched it at the Theatre. Will definitely give it a rewatch once I can on my couch and recommend anyone who just wants to kick back to give it a watch.

The Amateur had the potential to be a gripping thriller, especially with such a strong lead actor at the center of it all. Unfortunately, despite his undeniable talent, he felt underutilized in a script that lacked depth and nuance. The dialogue was particularly weak, often falling flat and leaving the actor with little to work with emotionally or dramatically.

The story seemed intended to immerse us in the character's frustration and grief as he searched for those responsible for his wife's death. However, this emotional core never quite landed. The relationship between the main character and his wife wasn't developed enough for us to truly feel the weight of the loss. The early scenes meant to establish their bond felt forced and lacked any real passion, which made it harder to invest in his motivations later on.

What's more frustrating is how much time the film spent on elements that didn't serve the story, while barely touching on those that could have added emotional depth and weight. The pacing and focus felt misplaced, detracting from what could have been a much more powerful narrative.

On the technical side, the cinematography was quite strong - it's clearly a well-shot film. However, the color grading choices didn't always work in its favor. Many scenes were overly dark, making it difficult to follow what was happening, at least on the cinema screen where I watched it.

Overall, The Amateur is a decent choice if you're looking for something to fill a lazy Sunday afternoon. But it's not a film that lingers or leaves a strong impact. With better writing and emotional grounding, it could have been so much more.

The Amateur

I really enjoyed this movie, it was a thriller of sorts, with a nerdy CIA analyst, played by Remi Malik, who was a kind of espionage savant deciphering complex data and keeping all our lives safe from the baddies.

The contradiction of this weedy antihero who had to step up to the plate to right a great wrong, was really quite inspirational. On paper this may have looked crazy casting but it was at times deeply moving in the characters grief and desperation. Expertly acted and great to see!

The script was tight and there were some great action sequences and the balance between the action and narrative was just right.

The movie was let down in the last 10 minutes when we just had a ridiculous scenario that ready was beyond incredulous! This was such a shame!

The whole cast turned it out but at best this is a firm 7 outta 10, if they contrived a better ending this would have been an 8.5, it is well worth watching for Malik alone.

"The Amateur" is a decent but unremarkable spy thriller that flirts with greatness without ever fully reaching it. The premise is intriguing, and there are some genuinely engaging sequences that show the potential the film had. Unfortunately, the overall execution is a bit clunky.

The script feels uneven-some parts are compelling, while others fall into predictable territory with dialogue that doesn't always land. The pacing suffers from occasional lulls, and certain character motivations could have used more development. Still, the central performance does carry some emotional weight, and there are flashes of tension that work well.

It's not without its strengths: the cinematography is solid, the score adds the right atmosphere, and there are a few scenes that manage to stand out. But by the end, "The Amateur" leaves the impression of a thriller that plays things a little too safe.

Watchable, with moments of quality-but it doesn't quite rise above average.

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.