Amsterdam
Hey Spartans! This past week I watched Amsterdam and thought it was quite alright. The main reason it drew me in was because of the amazing cast. This cast had stars like Christian Bale, Taylor Swift, Margot Robbie, Robert De Niro, and even Mike Myers. The cast didn’t mesh with each other a lot of the time, but the movie was still entertaining. Before we start, here is a very big SPOILER ALERT. Ok, now, let’s talk movies…
Characters: 7.5/10. The cast in this movie was very hit or miss. On one hand, you had Christian Bale, Margot Robbie and Robert De Niro doing an amazing job in this movie. They were clearly the best part of this film. I have started suggesting this movie to friends just because of these three actors and how amazing they were throughout the movie. On the other hand, Chris Rock was there, along with Mike Myers and Zoe Saldana. Saldana was very awkward during her scenes and, in some scenes where she had lines, she would wait a very long time to deliver thsoe lines. One thing I did like was the dynamic between Rami Malek, Margot Robbie and Anya Taylor Joy. Joy did a great job in some scenes but, in my mind, she is still very niche and is at the point in her career where she’s trying to be more serious and not a joke. That being said, Mario movie review coming soon (she's Princess Peach). John David Washington was also a lead in this but he was very emotionless for scenes other than when they are in Amsterdam (for, like, 20 minutes). Now to the main “actor” that draws people in: Taylor Swift. She was AWFUL with repeating lines that made it sound like she thought people didn’t hear her, so she said it again to make sure. The best thing she did in the movie was get pushed under a car which then killed her. I audibly laughed which then got me shushed in the theater. Overall, it was a great cast but could’ve been improved with more direction.
Plot: 6/10. I liked the plot for a couple reasons, like how it was based off a true story and the twist at the end. The twist was that the rich people were Nazis. No way! The rich people in post WW1 that seemed to want power were Nazis? I can’t believe it! In all seriousness, the twist that Malek and Joy were Nazi could be seen from a mile away because of their word choice in some scenes and just their characters in general. I did like how it built from a murder mystery into a pre-WW2 Nazi story. The "real" aspect was very well done with a speech from De Niro’s character overlayed with a speech from Smedley Butler. Basically, the plot is that two friends, who met in WW1, are framed for murder and after investigating and finding their third friend, a WW1 doctor, they find out that Nazis are trying to overthrow the government and make Gil Dillenbeck read a speech that would support this idea and, through veterans, would turn America fascist. It was very cool but predictable nonetheless.
Villains: 5.5/10. The average twist villains, but now they're Nazis. Cool? Malek and Joy did great but they’re Nazis. When talking about fictional Nazis (the Vose family were, in fact, made up) you can’t say that they’re amazing because you are forced to compare them to Hans Landa from Inglorious. Hans sets the bar so high for every Nazi villain that it’s very hard to pull off a fictional Nazi villain and make him better than Hans.
Visuals: In today’s standards, it was very average cinematography-wise. Some shots were cool, but it wasn’t anything to write home about. The only good visual was the logo for the Council of Five because it closely resembled a swastika which helped hint at the twist earlier.
Overall: 6/10. I suggest this movie to those who are big Christian Bale fans because he is generally funny and does an amazing job along with Margot Robbie and De Niro. If you want a good story, I would wait until it comes to rent, but it is a good watch if you’re bored and want to enjoy a small, weirdly funny, piece of art.
St. Francis High School
2130 W. Roosevelt Road, Wheaton, IL 60187
Phone (630) 668-5800
Fax (630) 668-5893
Phone (630) 668-5800
Fax (630) 668-5893
