Amsterdam review: Christian Bale can’t save David O. Russell from himself

Don’t be fooled by the brilliant promotional campaign of amsterdam. Of course, on paper it seems like a perfect dazzling choice for fall, with big stars like Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Rami Malek, Robert De Niro and Taylor Swift. His trailer and the character posters possess an energetic energy, while a “true story based” hook makes its tale of intriguing characters, conspiracy, and murder all the more enticing. However, David O. Russell’s latest is a bitter disappointment. Behind the high-energy, flashy cast, there’s a shocking lack of emotional depth — like a performer giving us jazz hands paired with a blank stare.

Inspired by the Commercial land from 1933, amsterdam centers on a trio of American bohemians who met while serving overseas in World War I. Two were soldiers; one was a nurse. All three were brought together by a desire to find beauty in the ugliness that surrounded them. But once the war is over, new battles must be fought on the home front.

For Dr. Burt Berendsen (Basel) and attorney Harold Woodman (Washington), that means paying attention to quickly forgotten veterans who bear both mental and physical wounds. It is this common cause that draws them into a mystery where they are accused of murder. During a random quest to clear their names, they reconnect with former Nursing Sister Valerie Voze (Robbie), whose quirks make her an outcast in her high-society milieu. Reunited and ready for the fray, the three will come up against outrageous allies, diabolical enemies, political intrigue, and the dark side of American capitalism.

David O. Russell had a great idea with amsterdam.

Written and Directed by Russell, amsterdam is promising in its vanity. These three characters are all full of love and intelligence, and each shares not only a common passion for humanity but also a form of oppression that undermines them at every turn.

Berendsen’s Jewish heritage is viewed with sneer or pity by the wealthy WASPy circles in which his wife (a very smug Andrea Riseborough) flirts. Whether it’s the military, the police or wealthy white people, Woodman faces blatant anti-black racism, while Voze is seen as a hysterical woman due to her creativity and compassion for those who are not part of his high socio-economic class. This setup allows Russell to explore how the creeping marginalization of people because of their faith, race, and gender runs counter to the ideals of the American Dream, creating increased adversity instead of opportunity.

Beyond that, Russel makes a shrewd move by translating the story of a potential political coup (timely!) with the thriller genre, which has experienced a resurgence since the sensational Rian Johnson Knives out. Like the thrillers at the end (See how they work, Body Body Body, and glass onion), amsterdam delivers a complicated mystery, colorful characters, a layer of social commentary, and an eccentric detective (or three) at its center. However, where amsterdam falls flat is in a lack of conviction that makes the central message of the film a false call to action.

Christian Bale goes hard in Amsterdam.

Next The fighter and american unrest, this is Bale’s third collaboration with Russell. And as he does in everything, from his Oscar-winning turn to The fighter to his recent debut as an MCU villain in Thor: Love and Thunder, Bale fiercely throws himself into his work. Here he’s physically emaciated, balancing rapid-fire banter with broad comedic assaults and pratfall-like drops, like a scene he pursues with a quivering glass eye. If this is a three-ring circus, Bale not only plays the ring master, but also a temperamental clown. A force of nature, Bale can often be the best part of a movie, good or bad, and in this bad movie he’s the best, delivering comedic dialogue and stunts with a full-bodied engagement that brings Berendsen to life.

For his part, Washington has much less to do as a straight man subscribed to Bale’s minion. Of course, he is good-natured. But if he does get a punchline, none are memorable or perhaps memorably landed like Bale’s. Still, Washington sparks a nice chemistry with Robbie, which makes for an initially promising romance thread. But forced on the back of this story, their flirtation ultimately seems shaky, undermining the film’s finale.

As for Robbie, she speaks French, sings with gusto, stumbles for laughs and plays a seductive version of a giddy but divine socialite. Her Valerie feels like a clear imitation of the kind of slimy comedy heroine that Katharine Hepburn made a trope of decades ago.

Adding to the atmosphere of boldness and attitude are Chris Rock as a wise veteran, Anya Taylor-Joy as a surly snob, Timothy Olyphant as a blighted menace, Zoe Saldana as a charming coroner, Alessandro Nivola as a nervous cop, and Robert De Niro as a national hero who won’t suffer fools. There is more, much more – Michael Shannon! Mike Myer! Taylor Swift! But for all these announced artists and all the effort, energy and screen presence they bring, amsterdam is surprisingly inert.

Execution of David O. Russell Kills amsterdam.

As impossible as it may be to imagine from these descriptions of a star-studded true-story wild thriller, this movie is boring. The sultry, sepia-rich color palette mirrors the look of old photographs; it’s possible that this aesthetic choice makes the film subconsciously dated in a bad way. Then there’s the film’s chaotic pacing, which is regularly rambling and jarring in the way it flips between locations, with uneven bursts of action. Perhaps it’s the runtime, which at two hours and 14 minutes feels punishing. Russell’s storyline painfully tiptoes around sinister elements like Nazism and eugenics, as if their existence in 1933 America would act like a grand revelation.

Are they the cause of amsterdamis apathy inexplicable? Or are they symptoms of a much bigger problem, that Russell doesn’t believe what he preaches?

Throughout the course of its central trio, amsterdam argues that art and love will be our salvation against the evils of this man-made world, whether war, corruption, bigotry, greed or conspiracy. The performances, set to a melody reminiscent of early Hollywood goofy comedies, aim to channel that bouncy energy into enthusiasm for the message. But they can’t save amsterdam of himself ; ultimately, the film feels superficial, like a preacher who has lost his faith and is just going with the flow. Personally, I was shocked to feel so indifferent to his emotional beats; I should be an easy target for such a message. Russell preaches to the choir! And even, amsterdam left me empty rather than inspired.

Behind the star power, frenzied plotting and quick banter, there’s just nothing there. So, in the end, amsterdam is mostly amazing how disappointing it is.

amsterdam opens in theaters October 7.