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Gladiator II doesn't do enough to set itself apart from the original. It justifies its existence but could have been better.
Posted in: Movies, Review | Tagged: Amsterdam, christian bale, david o russell, john david washington, Margto Robbie
Amsterdam Wastes A Great Cast And Performances {Review}
Amsterdam features a fantastic cast, including Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, and John David Washington, all doing their best. It is a shame that the movie they are in is a meandering, jumbled mess. David O. Russell can never just get out of his own way, and that ego is ruining his films. Such a slog to get through; this is one that both audiences and award season should skip.
Amsterdam Can't Help But Be Boring
Three Americans- Burt, Harold, and Valerie (Bale, Washington, Robbie), form a friendship during World War 1. At the same time, in recovery in Amsterdam that continues to the states, where Bale and Washington are accused of the murder of Liz (Taylor Swift), a wealthy socialite who hires the two to investigate the murder of her father. Liz was actually murdered by a mysterious shadow organization, who may or may not be involved with the rest of Valie's eccentric family (Rami Malek, Anya Taylor-Joy), who are also trying to sway a distinguished general (Robert De Niro) to deliver a speech. All the threads come together, sort of, at an annual rally for veterans hosted by Burt.
That is a vague description of events to keep spoilers away, but also, the plot is so hard to follow at some points that the story could be something else entirely. This is a jumbled mess of a movie, with all sorts of pacing issues and a script so confusing that the actors themselves look befuddled. Russell has never been one to worry about the journey the audience has to take with his films, but this is a whole other animal. Its closest comparison would be I Heart Huckabees, but that is not a compliment. Admittedly, there are funny parts of the film, and the three main leads are all great, but that feels in spite of Russell, not because of him. But the jokes keep going well past their expiration date.
Amsterdam also looks odd. Many disorienting shot designs are used, and it is quite jarring to watch. Endless cuts of close-ups to wide shots at a whips pace end up giving you a headache, and the film is also not very well-lit either—a rare miss for someone on the level of Russell. The best stretch of the film is the flashback to how our trio met, but from the end of that scene through the end, this film drags and drags like the worst kind of torture.
All in all, this is a complete mess of a film for sure and one of Russell's worst. Amsterdam is one of those films that you won't remember it even existed two weeks after you see it.
Amsterdam
3/10
Amsterdam is a mess, and one of those films that about a week after you see it, you forget it exists.
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