‘Amsterdam’ Review – Nothing Short Of A Good Time

Synopsis: From 20th Century Studios, New Regency, and acclaimed filmmaker David O. Russell comes
“Amsterdam,” an epic story spanning eras and a comedic thriller about love, loyalty, and reasons to live in the face of amazing unknown true history, as it follows three tight friends and everyone they encounter on their adventure.

You never know when or how you’re going to connect with someone. When you’re a child, bonds are often formed quickly and frequently. All it takes is similar interests in games and toys or that you both think it’s funny when someone trips and falls. On the flip side, as an adult, it can be challenging to befriend someone assuming that you want companionship in the first place. As we grow and experience life, we develop issues with trust, reliability, and a host of things you thought would never affect you. With trust more than likely being the most important to us all, when you find people or a person you can trust, do whatever you can to keep them in your circle. Those people, especially nowadays, are hard to find.

“What do powerful people want?”

If their interest in birds is a little cuckoo, they’re probably a spy. Directed by David O. Russell, Amsterdam is nothing short of a good time. This loosely historical offbeat comedy is more than a star-studded affair. Taking place in 1933 right before the rise of one of the worst humans in history, this film walks the line between fantastical and factual. Walking us through events that mostly happened, it’s easy to find yourself fully engaged in the interwoven mystery of what happened to Bill Meekins and who is this mysterious group campaigning for new leadership in America. The stakes are high, the conspiracy runs deep, and behind it all lies a friend group that rivals all others. The story ponders many questions surrounding love, friendship, and patriotism, and one that we still ponder to this day emboldened in the quote above. The film is fun, interesting, and incredibly interesting.

“True love is based on choice, not need.”

What’s really compelling about this film are the storylines of love that rest at the forefront of the plot and juxtapose the racism and political scheming that surrounds it all. Not only are some romantic relationships frowned upon during this era in our history, but many friendships are as well. People can complain that racism is being highlighted, however, we have to look our past in the face and see just how wrong we were. Also, those people are probably part of the problem. Nevertheless, as the story revolves around two veterans, the notion of, just because you serve your country, doesn’t mean it will respect or protect you when you no longer wear the uniform is reinforced. In fact, you only useful to the powers that be for what you can do for them. It was an ugly truth then and today it remains the same. It’s commentary on ruling powers is topical, the writing is smart and quick-witted, and the performances are outstanding. There’s an awkward energy that slithers through every scene that hilariously delightful. The film is able to be serious without taking itself too seriously, which is an impressive feat. It’s balance of love and mystery is perfect. The costume design is immaculate, the score is great, but it’s the performances of the ensemble cast that make this film a joy to experience. I had a nice experience with Amsterdam and you will too. Its rewatchability is high.

Pacing & Pop

While it has its slower moments, the pacing of the film is rather spirited. There are rarely any dull or uneventful moments. What popped out for me was learning about this moment of history that I had no idea happened. While some of it may be exaggerated, it’s nonetheless something extremely interesting to research. Also, I really enjoyed how the film portrays its Black characters. They are intelligent, resilient, and stand strong in the face of racism as they should.

Characters & Chemistry

Starring; Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Alessandro Nivola, Andrea Riseborough, Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Rock, Matthias Schoenaerts, Michael Shannon, Mike Myers, Taylor Swift, Timothy Olyphant, Zoe Saldaña, Rami Malek, and Robert De Niro

This cast is highly talented and together, highly entertaining. It’s not always a guaranteed hit when a film casts all of your favorite talents. It can feel very crowded very quickly, however, it is fortunately not the case in this instance. The film as well as its many stars know who the leads are and respect the art of storytelling. It’s not to say that each member in this ensemble doesn’t shine when it’s their turn, but the story refuses to hold focus on anything that doesn’t move the story forward. Our leads, Christian Bale, John David Washington, and Margot Robbie are a terrific trio. Together they are the glue to this wonderfully offbeat comedy. With how the film is constructed, one cannot do it without the other as they bounce energy and clever awkwardness back and forth in every scene. As every beloved face makes an appearance on screen, it adds a new layer to the unpeeling onion that is this conspiracy. Main protagonists aside, the characters played by Michael Shannon and Mike Myers are easily the most memorable and intriguing. They are a duo that warrants a spinoff of their own.

Amsterdam releases in theaters on October 7, 2022. Stay safe and enjoy.

Rated: R

Runtime: 2h 14m

Director: DAVID O. RUSSELL

Writer: DAVID O. RUSSELL

Producers: ARNON MILCHAN, p.g.a., MATTHEW BUDMAN, p.g.a., ANTHONY KATAGAS, p.g.a., DAVID O. RUSSELL, p.g.a. CHRISTIAN BALE

Executive Producers: YARIV MILCHAN, MICHAEL SCHAEFER, SAM HANSON, DRAKE, ADEL “FUTURE” NUR

Music By: DANIEL PEMBERTON

Costume Designers: J.R. HAWBAKER, ALBERT WOLSKY

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLs2xxM0e78]