Amsterdam

"Amsterdam" is a Mystery - Crime movie set in the 1930s and film follows a trio of unlikely friends who become entangled in a conspiracy that could change the course of history.

I liked this movie because of its interesting plot and its impressive cast. The narrative was intriguing and engaging but in some moments became convoluted, lost focus and momentum. The blend of humor, mystery, and political commentary occasionally feels uneven, leaving the audience unsure of whether to take it seriously or simply enjoy the chaotic ride. The interpretation of Christian Bale who played as Dr. Burt Berendsen was both quirky and outstanding while the supporting cast, especially Margot Robbie who played as Valerie Voze and John David Washington who played as Harold Woodman, were somewhat underutilized. The movie's visual style is vibrant and engaging and contains some memorable moments. In conclusion, I have to say that "Amsterdam" had the potential of being an amazing movie but its overstuffed plot and inconsistent tone make it a bit of a letdown. It's still an enjoyable movie to watch but I suggest you not to expect much.

Amsterdam comes roaring out of the gate with a fast-paced, quirky, charming, and unique mystery of the likes of Sherlock Holmes or Knives Out. The list of celebrities and actors continues to grow as almost every face in this movie is another a-lister making an entertaining appearance. I was so excited to see what happened next and was surprised when the story suddenly screeched to a halt for a very long slow flashback that didn't offer much to the plot. I hoped the exciting pace would return when the story returned to its original narrative, but the risk and urgency had been replaced by a scattered collection of arbitrary dialogue and scenes that lingered much longer than needed. The pacing lagged almost an hour before ramping back up in the final act. Amsterdam had so much potential but floundered in its attempts to be different and unique. The film's best part was Michael Shannon and Mike Myers' quirky bird-loving spies. Every time they were on the screen, I couldn't help but laugh. Christian Bale logged another amazing performance, as expected. But even with entertaining characters, great performances, and an exciting opening and conclusion, Amsterdam fumbled all its fantastic elements and ended up making my eyes heavy and my heart yearn to go to bed early.

IN A NUTSHELL: In the 1930s, three friends witness a murder, are framed for it and uncover one of the most outrageous plots in American history.

Fun fact: The plot is based on an actual conspiracy in 1933 when American bankers and businessmen plotted a military coup to overthrow President Franklin D. Roosevelt to replace him with Major General Smedley Butler. The film was both written and directed by David O. Russell.

THINGS I LIKED: The talented cast is almost endless and includes Hollywood A-listers and 3 Oscar winners, as well as 2 Oscar nominees ike Robert De Niro, Christian Bale, Rami Malek, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Chris Rock, Anya Taylor-Joy, Zoe Saldana, Mike Myers, Michael Shannon, Timothy Olyphant, Andrea Riseborough, and even music icon Taylor Swift!

I didn't expect so much singing! Nice! Does anyone know if those actors were actually singing or dubbed?

It's fun to see comedian Chris Rock in this movie. Rumor has it that Christian Bale refused to talk to him because Christian was so worried Chris would make him laugh on set. Christian Bale was one of the producers of the film. In fact, the entire cast seemed to be having a ball. Watching actors enjoy their roles always makes it more enjoyable for audiences. The cast was so excited about working with the director and each other that they all lowered their regular fees.

The set designs and costumes easily set a believable tone for the period. Everything LOOKED great, including all of the actors. It's the telling of the story itself that prevented the movie from becoming a charming hit. Instead, it's expected to lose $97 million worldwide.

Trying to solve the whodunnit mystery is a fun element of the film, although most viewers won't care about the answer.

It's said that it cost $80 million to make this movie, partly because the sets had already been built in Boston but, due to the pandemic, the location had to be changed to Los Angeles.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: Unfortunately, the script didn't measure up to the vast talent of the cast. It's a matter of expectations not being met that has left most viewers deflated. When we see the impressive cast list, we naturally assume the movie is going to be great.

I've been to Amsterdam twice now. It's a beautiful city. I wish the movie had more street scenes to really get the vibe of the city. We don't even see any of the famous canals in the movie.

It's weird that even with so much star power, I was bored many times and couldn't wait for it to end.

The plot is convoluted and overstuffed. The movie felt like a patchwork quilt, stitched together with loose threads and random pieces of beautiful fabric. The parts were definitely better than the sum in this disappointing movie. It seems to be the victim of 14 different scripts that were worked on during the production.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: We see a dead body being dissected in an autopsy We see bloodied soldiers riddled with bullets that must be removed.

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This movie is a bit long at over 2 hours but is written, acted, and directed in a style that is interesting all the way. There is quirkiness, sometimes it reminded me of Wes Anderson's movies, like "The Grand Budapest Hotel." The character played by Christian Bale, a disheveled doctor who lost an eye in the war, reminded us of Peter Faulk's 1970s TV series Columbo in his mannerisms and his quest to find out facts.

While this is almost entirely a fictional story it is loosely based on something that was called "The Business Plot." Roosevelt was newly elected and a group of businessmen didn't like the direction things were headed. So they hatched a plan to overthrow the President.

But very little of the running time is actually devoted to that, most of it has the three main characters, accused of murdering a woman by pushing her into the street to be run over by a delivery truck, working to prove their innocence and to focus in on the real bad actors.

My wife and I watched it at home on DVD from our public library, a totally interesting and entertaining take on the times.

I love this movie. I enjoyed every scene and I had no trouble following the plot. I read reviews by professional movie critics that made me realize not all movie critics have the intelligence and imagination we expect them to have.

It was a work of art and and important historical story. The culture of our current society is very similar to that of the period of this movie. I believe that explains why many powerful people in the movie industry would be critical of this production and of the director and writer David O Russell. I think those critics would be more impressed by the greed and influence of the Committee of the Five. Not me! I'm all in with Harold, Valerie and Burt. Art, love and beauty is what truly matters in life.