If nothing else, director David O. Russell has assembled an ensemble cast for the ages in Amsterdam, his 1933, New York set film that mashes genres together like a fruit salad comprised of satire, comedy, romance, crime, and politics.
The epic film is absurdly stacked: a single scene has the potential (and it literally does at one point) to contain a who’s who of modern megastars.
Its troupe of secondary actors includes Remi Malek, Anya Taylor-Joy, Robert De Niro, Chris Rock, Mike Myers, Michael Shannon, Matthias Schoenaerts, Timothy Olyphant, Zoe Saldaña, Alessandro Nivola, and more.
But, we mostly follow our main trio: long-time regiment buddies Burt (Christian Bale) and Harold (John David Washington) who become drawn into a murder investigation of their former commanding officers and now US Senator, Bill Meekins. Their sleuthing brings them back into the orbit of Valerie (Margot Robbie), a nurse who helped them back to health during WWI – a classic two-guys-and-a-girl setup.
At times freewheeling, Amsterdam’s idealistic outlook can become bogged down in the murderous plot that blows up to something bigger – an elaborate political coup - come the films second act. At times farcical, it’s the performers that can bring much of the joy to a story that loses itself in the surfeit threads of the messy tapestry it tries to weave.
Production, too, is what brings the film to life; a perfect recreation of ‘30s New York – in part thanks to costuming and cinematography – help to make the film feel ‘lived-in’ and worth the trip.
Amsterdam (MA15+) is showing now at the Bowen Summergarden Cinema.
David O. Russell’s Amsterdam features a star-studded cast including Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, and John David Washington
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