“Amsterdam” Review
Christian Bale, Margot Robbie and John David Washington star as friends who are wrapped up in a massive conspiracy theory in “Amsterdam,” David O. Russell’s first film since 2015’s “Joy.”
In the 2010s, David O. Russell was a filmmaker whose rate of productivity was incredible with films like “The Fighter,” “Silver Linings Playbook” and “American Hustle” all being wonderful films of that decade. Now, seven years after the release of “Joy,” Russell is back in the director’s chair with “Amsterdam,” a wildly complex thriller with a massive cast, budget and scope. With all of these components, the final film was an entertaining display of the talents of everyone involved, but “Amsterdam” still left something to be desired.
In 1933, Dr. Burt Berendsen (Christian Bale) and his friend and attorney Harold Woodsman (John David Washington) are called in to perform an autopsy on United States Senator, and their former general, Bill Meekins (Ed Begley Jr.). When they discover that Meekins may have been poisoned, the two investigate his death further which leads them to Valerie (Margot Robbie), their friend from Amsterdam who also thinks something more sinister is afoot. What follows is a complicated conspiracy theory involving fascists, ornithologists, generals, big business and a plot to depose President Franklin Roosevelt. With so many people out to kill or discredit them, the three friends must try to prevent this plot with the help of their allies, many of whom cause events from the past to arise.
With an amazing ensemble cast, “Amsterdam” certainly has star power. At this point, I think Christian Bale’s favorite roles are ones where he has to put on a weird accent, wear prosthetics and either gain or lose some weight. Whatever the case, he is enthralling as Dr. Berendsen who has had so much pain inflicted upon him by the war, including the loss of an eye and having to wear a back brace. However, what gets him through it is the comradery with his friends.
John David Washington and Margot Robbie are stellar and their chemistry as both friends and lovers is enthralling. If I were to best compare all three leads to something it would be the band The Who. Each of them acts like they’re the only one on screen but they surprisingly don’t detract from each other’s performances. I would love to see a film about just Dr. Berendsen or Valerie or Harold but, together, they’re unbelievable as a team with different strengths. Harold knows the law and is super knowledgeable about the city, Dr. Berendsen is a compassionate man who helps veterans with war injuries and knows many cops in the city and Valerie is a tenacious artist whose presence often gets the boys in or out of trouble.
Stars like John David Washington, Margot Robbie, Rami Malek and Anya Taylor-Joy make up just a part of Amsterdam’s incredibly large and star-studded cast.
But they’re not alone. Among the cast are talents like Zoe Saldaña, Chris Rock, Rami Malek, Anya Taylor-Joy, Taylor Swift, Timothy Olyphant, Micheal Shannon, Mike Myers and Robert De Niro who all bring their best to the film. Robert De Niro is particularly engaging as a former general who is fighting for the rights of veterans amidst the Great Depression and who is being pursued by the organization trying to hunt down our leads for a nefarious purpose.
As the film’s director, David O. Russell creates an outstanding atmosphere that sucks back viewers to nearly a century ago. While most of the story is set in 1933, the film frequently flashes back to World War I and the early 20s when our three leads were living a Bohemian lifestyle in Amsterdam. These sequences are fascinating and seeing how they affected the friends and made them who they are is fun to watch. It all feels so small, intimate and believable amidst the gigantic spectacle.
What’s even more fun is how these people talk. Russell’s dialogue is a mixture of blunt facts, dry humor and quirky phrases that reminds me of the work of Wes Anderson or Mike Mills. Everyone in this film has a unique way of expression and their interaction is where I found a lot of the film’s entertainment value. The film’s overly complex nature also leads to a lot of humor as you begin to ask yourself “how the hell did any of this happen?”
“Amsterdam” is loosely based on the Business Plot, in which American businessmen conspired to have a facist dictatorship set up in line with Mussolini in Italy and Hitler in Germany. Keep in mind, loosely is the key word of that sentence. This film should be looked at more as historical fiction like “Braveheart,” with very few details of the film being factual to instead make for a gripping story. In the end, the film’s historical ties are far less important than the adventure that “Amsterdam’s” leads are involved in.
Unfortunately, where the film doesn’t come together is the overall story. While the characters and their journey are engaging, how it affects the plot is something else. “Amsterdam” feels less lofty or funny than David O. Russell’s past films, especially “Flirting With Disaster,” “The Fighter,” “Silver Linings Playbook” and “American Hustle.” On top of that, the story is so complex that I was expecting the payoff to be bigger and more satisfying. Instead, the film’s ending feels a bit underwhelming.
While “Amsterdam” is not Russell’s best film and it certainly has its problems, it’s hard for me to not recommend it. Because the characters I was watching were fascinating and I wanted to know more about them but the conspiracy they were involved in definitely needed to be more compelling and a more satisfying conclusion. But it was an unbalanced film I’m still glad I saw.
