Review: ‘Amsterdam’ is a humorous escapade turned lackluster political allegory

By Saswat Pati     10/18/22 10:38pm

Unlike most films I watch, I genuinely had no idea what kind of movie “Amsterdam” was going to be when I first walked in the theater. All I knew from the trailer was that it’s a comedy that seemingly had assembled a dream team of actors, with almost every role filled by either an Oscar-nominated actor (Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, Robert De Niro and Rami Malek), well-renowned comedian (Chris Rock) or musical superstar (Taylor Swift). From the trailer, it looked like whatever “Amsterdam” was going to be had to be good. With this much talent, backed by Oscar-nominated director David Russell, how could it not?

Indeed, the first third of the film is quite charming. Amsterdam, set during the early 1930s with flashbacks to World War I, centers around three friends: plastic surgeon Burt (Christian Bale), lawyer Harold (John David Washington) and nurse Valerie (Margot Robbie) who met at a war hospital. Harold and Valerie become a couple and the group cavorts through Amsterdam. Eventually, Burt decides to return to the U.S. to reunite with his wife and help veterans of the war with physical deformities. A decade later, the general of the regiment is found dead under mysterious circumstances, leading Harold and Burt on a whodunit to find out the truth behind his death. This mystery takes the duo through the upper echelons of American high society as they unravel a conspiracy that is bigger than anything they could have imagined.

Initially, this film feels almost indie in style. Though a bit unconventional, the first act is intriguing and is supported by a strong effort from the cast. Christian Bale puts in a great performance, and John 

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David Washington and Margot Robbie have magnetic chemistry with each other. But unlike the reverie in Amsterdam from the first act, the film abruptly begins to lose quality after the main plot begins.

As the trio uncover the conspiracy, the film shifts from a comedy to an allegory for modern-day America. This is where the film begins to falter. Though the initial investigation is compelling, all momentum built falls apart once the focus shifts to the conspiracy. The second half of the film comes off as self-righteous and pandering —- its messaging truly has the subtlety of a brick.

Unlike some other works like “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “The Plot Against America,” and “Blackkklansman” that balance their message with a strong narrative, “Amsterdam” chooses to abandon its cohesion in favor of making witty one liners that remove the audience from the story and become boring by the third act. The film’s runtime is significantly longer than needed.

“Amsterdam” squanders its stellar cast with a poor script and even poorer execution. I would recommend watching this movie when it comes on streaming and only if you need something to watch in the background.

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