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I just saw The Amateur and I was pleasantly surprised. I am not a fan of a lot of the non-stop action movies that leave one feeling as if they had been shot out a cannon for 90 minutes, and this movie wasn't like that. There was, I thought, a nice build up that gave you a sense of the character and that he was an unlikely choice as an international assassin. I the thought the use of suspense was good, ratcheting things up as it went along, and I was surprised and intrigued by some of the twists and escapes. I haven't seen a lot of Rami Malek, but I really liked him in this role. I always like Lawrence Fishburn, and he was good, as were a couple of heavies that Charlie outwits in the end. All in all, a good movie, one I was glad to have seen. If they make a sequel, I will likely see that as well.

Just Got out of a Screening of The Amateur.

It was Half Decent but there's a better film in here(especially the setup)

Problems I had with the Film -

📜👎 - The Setup of Charles' Wife being Killed was done in probably the least effective way possible. She dies, he's then told this and then we see bits and pieces of the Kidnapping. This was a cop out imo.

🤔 - It would of Been Far more effective if we actually saw a 6 to 7 minute scene of the Kings Cross London Terrorist Attack and the Subsequent Execution(without actually showing it though, just up to the moment when he pulls the trigger, they did that part right) of Charles' Wife. And then he is told & shown this.

😴 - There's far too many moments where stuff Just happens.

🤷 - The Ending with the Main Villain(which was actually a good Scene) could of been built up to far better if we had seen the villain throughout the film. But we don't, we only seen him at the Very End.

So Overall, it was ok but could of been far better.

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.

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.

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.