Review: Stellar cast can’t quite rescue ‘Amsterdam’
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Director David O. Russell takes an obscure alleged conspiracy from 1933 and builds the film “Amsterdam” around it with an A-list cast.
Russell takes that moment in history to bring this rumination on fascism and tolerance to the screen. Audiences will wish he had been more successful in his efforts.
The director hasn’t released a feature-length film since 2015’s “Joy,” and it shows. Despite its noble intentions, “Amsterdam” is uneven and wastes a stellar cast.
‘Amsterdam’ shows three unlikely friends
How prominent is that list of thespians? Some, such as Chris Rock, Michael Shannon and Mike Myers, inhabit minor roles. That’s not to say they don’t add anything to those parts (how can Rock not?), but the movie would have been fine if Russell had cast lesser-known actors.
That cannot be said about the three leads. Christian Bale, Margot Robbie and John David Washington portray a doctor (Burt), a free spirit (Valerie) and a lawyer (Harold). Theirs is a friendship forged in post-World War I Europe — Amsterdam to be exact.
That is where the trio, a half-Jew with a blue-collar background, a Black man and a single woman find their version of Utopia.
However, Burt, longs to return home to the social-climbing wife who degrades him because of his scars from war. Harold and Valerie fall in love and express their feelings openly, something that cannot be done in 1933 America.
Reality crashes Utopia in ‘Amsterdam’
Their version of heaven cannot last forever and they all return home. Eventually their lives become entangled once again after Burt and Harold are drawn into the mysterious death surrounding their former commanding officer. They eventually learn that Valerie and eccentric brother (Rami Malek) have roles to play as well.
They are implicated in the death and spend much of the film trying to free themselves from the suspicions of a corrupt NYPD detective. All of these plot points should lead to comedic mayhem, and Russell, who writes and directs, provides several moments that provide some laughs. Still, it never quite comes together as he tries to tie the details of the conspiracy, which involves a retired general (Robert De Niro), into the proceedings.
Cast’s chemistry isn’t enough for David O. Russell’s ‘Amsterdam’
It’s not the fault of the cast. It’s rather strange to have one where the chemistry generally pops off the screen, but everything else is just so bland.
Bale delivers his usual eccentric and immersive turn. But while he’s used to playing those types of characters, he’s not necessarily known for roles where he’s so put upon and vulnerable. In some respects, Burt is little more than a stray kitten that some might want to take home.
Luckily for him, he has a friend in Harold who looks out for him on a personal and professional level. In Harold, Washington creates a renaissance man who isn’t allowed to be a renaissance man. He’s intelligent, handsome and charming. He also delivers a performance laced with frustration, yet contains more than a bit of optimism.
Robbie’s electric, expressive eyes say a lot in “Amsterdam” and her Valerie is the glue that holds the trio together.
Unfortunately, it’s not enough as Russell’s direction meanders. At times, it feels as if he should be having just a tad more fun with “Amsterdam.” He sets the audience up for it on several occasions, yet it never comes to pass as it did in films such as “American Hustle” and “Silver Linings Playbook.”
George M. Thomas dabbles in movies and television for the Beacon Journal. Reach him at gthomas@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @ByGeorgeThomas
Review
Movie: “Amsterdam”
Cast: Christian Bale, John David Washington, Margot Robbie, Robert De Niro
Directed by: David O. Russell
Running time: 2 hours 14 minutes
Rated: Rated R for brief violence and bloody images.
Grade: C
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Review: David O. Russell's return, ‘Amsterdam,’ lacks cohesion
