“Amsterdam”
Too many celebrity chefs spoil the crime story
Burt (Christian Bale) and Valerie (Margot Robbie) become involved in an assassination plot.
©20th Century Studios/Disney
Star-studded, David O. Russell takes cinema-goers in “Amsterdam” to the USA in the 1930s. Also present: Christian Bale and Margot Robbie.
When Oscar creator David O. Russell (64) and transformation miracle Christian Bale (48) are at work, film fans usually flock to the cinemas in droves. For “Amsterdam”, which opens in cinemas on November 3, the two Hollywood greats have once again teamed up and worked on the implementation of the comedic thriller for five years. But was all that hard work worth it?
There’s a star around every corner – that’s what it’s all about
During the First World War, doctor Burt (Christian Bale), soldier Harold (John David Washington, 38) and nurse Valerie (Margot Robbie, 32) meet at the front and make a pact: friends forever, no matter what! And that’s not a small thing: Drawn by scars – both visible and invisible – the trio stumbles years later in New York into a criminal case that spins intrigues as well as crazy dialogues. The bonus: a new star lurks around every corner, ready to clarify or cover up the case.
These are Robert De Niro (79), Chris Rock (57), Mike Myers (59) and Rami Malek (41). Even pop star Taylor Swift (32) has a small but far from insignificant role that could flatten one or the other moviegoer. The focus is on three friends who start a new life in Amsterdam after the experiences of the war and celebrate it in dance halls and with singing (in French!). The “Amsterdam feeling” does not survive New York. A mysterious accident makes the returned Burt a murder suspect, and the trio embark on a quest for the truth.
Plot is based on true events
The search for clues takes cinema-goers into American history. In 1933, conspirators in the so-called “Business Plot” tried to overthrow the US government and put a dictator in the place of Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945). Against this gloomy background, the film plot about the doctor Burt begins. Despite glass eyes, scars and suspicions of murder, he plays optimism on two legs and regularly asks pal Harold, “How do I look?” Involuntarily, thoughts of Peter Falk (1927-2011) come to mind, who wore a glass eye for most of his life and played the iconic detective “Columbo”. Between the investigations, Burt always finds time to research new drugs and to test the bizarre effects on himself, which always makes you smile.
But therein lies the whole crux of the film, which doesn’t seem to know what it actually wants to be: crime comedy or film noir, gangster flick or thriller? There is a bit of everything, and that makes the two hours and 14 minutes confusing and sometimes even confusing. Bale is by no means lacking in commitment, but he can’t shoulder the story alone either. Support is certainly Margot Robbie, who gives her character color or rather a whimsical touch. Nurse Valerie indulges in an unusual hobby: she makes art out of shrapnel that she pulls out of her patients’ bodies – for example in the form of a tea service. Burt’s take on this: “She’s brilliant but completely insane!”
There it flashes again, the potential of the film to conjure up the power of friendship on the screen. Instead, “Amsterdam” ripples along in leisurely waves and various storylines. With one of the last scenes in the film, the viewers are once again shaken awake. At the end, Robert De Niro gives a flaming speech about love and hate, which inevitably reminds moviegoers of recent events in US history: when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in Washington. The resolution of the criminal case, which turns out to be a gigantic conspiracy, is almost pushed into the background.
Conclusion
Fans of the 1920s and 1930s will get their money’s worth when it comes to equipment and costumes. Christian Bale as a Columbo blend and Margot Robbie as an artful nurse also make for smiles and one or the other surprising note. The other stars, especially Rami Malek, pop up in the most unusual places and fizzle out again just as quickly. If you are expecting a fast-paced criminal case with star esprit, you should look for a comfortable cinema seat and maybe have an Agatha Christie novel in your pocket.