Amsterdam (2022)

David O. Russell returns to the director’s chair after an 8-year hiatus, bringing audiences a star-studded murder mystery with “Amsterdam”. The film is inspired by a 1933 political conspiracy known as the ‘Business Plot’, in which wealthy American businessmen and bankers plotted to overthrow President Roosevelt, replacing him with a fascist veteran’s organisation, headed by U.S. Marine Corps Major General Smedley Butler. With a packed ensemble that includes some of Hollywood’s best and brightest, audiences can hope that “Amsterdam” will be a wildly entertaining ride, but unfortunately what they actually get is an over-complicated, overstuffed flick that packs way too much into its 134-minute runtime.

“Amsterdam” follows three friends (Margot Robbie, Christian Bale, and John David Washington) as they’re tossed into a cryptic murder mystery with two of the trio being accused of murder. As they race to prove their innocence to the cops breathing down their necks, the three friends find themselves at the centre of a complex political conspiracy that could have devastating consequences for America and the entire world.

While the film may suffer from a plot that is more confusing than interesting, the plethora of Oscar winners and nominees recruited by Russell for the film ensure there’s no weak links among the cast. Robbie, Bale and Washington are a very fun trio to watch interacting with each other, hopefully we get to see them together in a more coherent film in the future. Included in the star-studded line-up is Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Michael Shannon, Robert De Niro and Anya Taylor-Joy to name a few, and the film allows Russell to show of his ability to wrangle such a large ensemble with such ease. While there are strong performances all round, the standout has to be Christian Bale with his arresting turn as Burt Berendsen, a veteran-turned-doctor who gets accused of murder with his best friend and fellow veteran Harold Woodman (John David Washington).

“Amsterdam” maybe a strong standalone flick that is flawed by its convoluted plot, but when the only things that seem to be doing well at the box office in 2022 is sequels or anything from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s a refreshing and much needed release. It does feel like a film designed to win Oscars more than to make big bucks with a loaded cast already loved by the Academy. Stellar production design and costuming that does a solid job immersing you into the 1930s, and another strong directorial effort from David O. Russell (although the unsavoury allegations of physical and verbal abuse, and sexual assault, will hopefully deter voters from rewarding the director).

While “Amsterdam” certainly has its issues, it still just about manages to be entertaining enough so that you don’t fall asleep by the time the credits roll. However, due to how large the cast is, you walk away feeling that some of the A-listers recruited for the film end up being sorely underused, like Zoe Saldana, Taylor Swift, and Michael Shannon. This film is definitely a good way to fill 2 hours, but it’s not exactly something to rave over, with the film seemingly getting increasingly confusing as it progresses.

David O. Russell’s packed return to the director’s chair mixes real life and fiction to create a mostly entertaining film with an exciting murder mystery at the centre of a complex political conspiracy. This is a film about friendship, romance and finding out the truth that is unfortunately overshadowed by a tangled plot, and a controversial director.