This is the second film version of the 1981 spy novel of the same name by Robert Littell, adapted by Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli and directed by James Hawes. Rami Malek stars as Charles Heller, a CIA cryptographer who loses his wife in a London terrorist attack. When his bosses will not act due to conflicting internal priorities, he blackmails the agency into training him as a field operative, so he can embark on a one man mission to hunt down the killers.
I never tire of movies depicting spycraft, especially when they involve dashing around various European cities for exciting set pieces and The Amateur delivers plenty of that. But, whilst the story generally races by, there is little that is new, and so soon after the magnificent Black Bag, it feels a little old fashioned, despite all the technical wizardry on display.
I still have not warmed to Malek as an actor, but he is decent enough as the timid analyst who has to discover his inner strength. The best performances, though, come from the supporting cast that includes Laurence Fishburne as Charles’ trainer, Julianne Nicholson as the CIA director, and Catriona Balfe as Heller’s anonymous contact.
Rating: 7 out of 10