I've just finished watching this film and I'm feeling great. I have a big smile on my face and I'm refreshed and tingling all over. Coincidentally, the last movie that made me feel this way was "The Suicide Squad" that also starred Margot Robbie.
Am I in love with Margot Robbie? Possibly. For me she's the Raquel Welch of this generation, although she is a far more talented actress. But that has little to do with my review.
This was one ambitious, star-studded movie with a message that parallels the perilous politics of the U. S. and the world today. Did the filmmakers fulfill their ambitions? No! They fell a little short. But I'm very thankful for their attempt.
I think the plethora of stars in the cast was a distraction in light of the lack of meaty and memorable roles for them. I'm a war movie buff and two star studded movies that come to mind are "The Longest Day" and "Apocolypse Now."
Decades later I clearly remember the moments and lines of the likes of John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, Red Buttons, and Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper. Of the secondary stars of "Amsterdam," I won't remember them or their lines, but I will certainly remember Taylor Swift getting thrown under a bus (car actually) early in the movie. That's about it. A waste of star power in the film, but maybe not in boosting ticket sales.
I think the primary stars did very well with what they had to work with. You know how I feel about Robbie, and I think this was the best I've seen of John David Washington. You could say the same for Anya Taylor-Joy, Rami Malek, and Andrea Riseborough too.
That brings me to Christian Bale. He was marvelous. But was he intentionally channeling Peter Falk's detective Columbo for his character? Was it me? Joke on us. I dunno. It worked.
Finally, Robert De Niro is one of my all-time favorite actors. But in my opinion, his acting has not aged well. In its stead is his political activism and that amongst other things may be the reason for some of the lower reviews. I gave the film a solid seven stars. The filmmakers shot for the stars but landed on the moon, and that's pretty good.
Am I in love with Margot Robbie? Possibly. For me she's the Raquel Welch of this generation, although she is a far more talented actress. But that has little to do with my review.
This was one ambitious, star-studded movie with a message that parallels the perilous politics of the U. S. and the world today. Did the filmmakers fulfill their ambitions? No! They fell a little short. But I'm very thankful for their attempt.
I think the plethora of stars in the cast was a distraction in light of the lack of meaty and memorable roles for them. I'm a war movie buff and two star studded movies that come to mind are "The Longest Day" and "Apocolypse Now."
Decades later I clearly remember the moments and lines of the likes of John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, Red Buttons, and Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper. Of the secondary stars of "Amsterdam," I won't remember them or their lines, but I will certainly remember Taylor Swift getting thrown under a bus (car actually) early in the movie. That's about it. A waste of star power in the film, but maybe not in boosting ticket sales.
I think the primary stars did very well with what they had to work with. You know how I feel about Robbie, and I think this was the best I've seen of John David Washington. You could say the same for Anya Taylor-Joy, Rami Malek, and Andrea Riseborough too.
That brings me to Christian Bale. He was marvelous. But was he intentionally channeling Peter Falk's detective Columbo for his character? Was it me? Joke on us. I dunno. It worked.
Finally, Robert De Niro is one of my all-time favorite actors. But in my opinion, his acting has not aged well. In its stead is his political activism and that amongst other things may be the reason for some of the lower reviews. I gave the film a solid seven stars. The filmmakers shot for the stars but landed on the moon, and that's pretty good.