Movie Scene: Semi-professional spy drama

A twist on the spy thriller genre, ‘The Amateur,’ is based on a novel by Robert Little and was previously done for the big screen in 1981 with John Savage in the lead role. It poses the question: ‘What if Q tried to do what Bond does?’

Charles Heller (Rami Malek) is a quiet mild-mannered CIA cryptographer married to Claire (Rachel Brosnahan).

When Claire is killed in a terrorist attack in London, a grief-stricken Charles seeks revenge, extorting his superior Moore (Holt McCallany) using incriminating documents to allow Charles to train as a field agent.

This is eventually permitted, leaving Charles in the charge of Henderson (Laurence Fishburne). Problem is Charles is literally the worst agent ever, absconding to go on a worldwide terrorist hunt with his former superiors on his tail. I have to say now, I do enjoy a good aul spy yarn and, while ‘The Amateur’ isn’t great, it’s still an enjoyable enough trip through the genre. It starts off well enough; there’s a quick introduction to Charles and Sarah before other players are introduced such as McCallany, Julianne Nicholson and Jon Bernthal.

Charles is set up as your typical tech whizz; quiet, overlooked, methodical to the point of ridiculous at his job yet (for reasons never explained) is obtaining state secrets from the mysterious Inquiline (Catriona Balfe).

Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli’s script gives Charles an interesting arc and the film’s first act deals more with grief surrounding Sarah’s death until Charles takes the initiative.

Also, if you can get over the central concept of the CIA being extorted in such a way, the rest of the film’s incredulities are a breeze.

Once Charles is sent to ‘The Farm’ for training, ‘The Amateur’ picks up and Charles finds out that he just isn’t cut out for killing. Nevertheless, we’re treated to a whistle-stop tour of Türkiye, Paris, Spain, and Russia as Charles, heads off to dispense with the bad guys using nothing but his wits.

Director James Hawes of ‘Slow Horses’ fame goes for a 70s-style conspiracy thriller vibe and it all feels very grungy and dirty.

The focus is more on the cerebral end of things with some inventive kills and, to be fair, it’s an interesting premise.

That said, he isn’t able to choreograph a coherent fight scene and, in this era of Bonds, Bournes and other gun-toting spy chicanery, there’s a distinct lack urgency or tension to proceedings.

A subplot involving the previously mentioned state secrets is only there to allow McCallany and Nicholson screentime and Brosnahan pops up occasionally in ‘dead wife’ mode if only to accentuate that Charles misses her.

Of the performances, Malek and Fishburne get the lion’s share of stuff to do; I’m no great Malek fan but he’s on decent form here as a man consumed by grief and revenge.

Fishburne is, well, Fishburne and Balfe’s small role is memorable.

‘The Amateur’ isn’t the best spy film around but I must admit I enjoyed what it had to offer.