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Official Discussion - The Amateur [SPOILERS]
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Summary
The Amateur is a revenge-driven spy thriller about Charles Heller, a CIA cryptographer who goes rogue after his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack. When the agency refuses to act, he blackmails them into turning him into a field operative, setting off on a personal mission to hunt down those responsible. Adapted from the 1981 novel by Robert Littell, the film blends gritty espionage with emotional intensity.
Director
James Hawes
Writers
Ken Nolan, Gary Spinelli
Cast
- Rami Malek as Charles Heller
- Rachel Brosnahan as Sarah Horowitz
- Laurence Fishburne as Robert Henderson
- Caitríona Balfe as Inquiline Davies
- Michael Stuhlbarg as Sean Schiller
- Holt McCallany as CIA Deputy Director Alex Moore
- Julianne Nicholson as Samantha O'Brien
- Jon Bernthal as Jackson O'Brien, a.k.a. The Bear
Rotten Tomatoes: 66%
Metacritic: 53
VOD
Theaters
Top Comment: It's an overall alright revenge thriller. But what the hell was up with Jon Bernthal's Character? He shows up in the beginning, goes missing for most of the movie, then shows up at the beginning of the third act to tell the Rami Malek there's no going back, only for Rami Malek to manage to go back to his normal life in the end. Also Laurence Fishburne's character showing up in the epilogue to essentially say "Proud of you, kiddo" despite trying to kill him for most of the movie was also a headscratcher.
Amateur of Amateurs
Main Post:
The whole radio thing has been something on my mind since I was a kid and picked up radio signals from Asia on my multiband. But it has always seemed daunting to step into.
How does one take their first steps into this world?
Give me the first three steps. (At this point I just want to be able to listen, transmitting feels like too much responsibility.)
If your feeling very teachery, give me the first 10 steps.
Please and Thank you.
PS I'm sure others ask this kind nd if question, if so sorry point me to the post instead.
Top Comment: Decide what you want from the hobby. This can change over time, and that's OK. Find out how to pursue that thing you want. Do it! If you still just want to listen, start with websdr.org. You can listen to radio traffic from all over in your browser for free. If you want more, look into SDR equipment of your own. Listening does not require any licensing. If you want to talk, then find out about licensing for your country. In the US, the first level is Technician. Lots of study material to get more details. My favorite study guide for Tech is free as a PDF here: https://www.kb6nu.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2022-no-nonsense-tech-study-guide-v2-20230204.pdf Have fun!
The Amateur - Thoughts?
Main Post:
I saw The Amateur recently and didn't have much expectations because of the reviews, seems like it's getting 60% just about everywhere... did anyone else think it was better than it's getting credit for? Great acting from Malik, with some intense dialogue, plot twists etc...
Top Comment: I'm super happy this movie is out so I don't have to see the trailer anymore.
We all started as amateurs. No need to be condescending.
Main Post: We all started as amateurs. No need to be condescending.
Top Comment: The only annoying thing for me, and I am truly a beginner here is why ppl don't search the sub before posting? Its the first thing I do when I have a question.... but we see so many of the same types of post everyday...
'The Amateur' - Review Thread
Main Post:
Charlie Heller is a brilliant CIA decoder whose world comes crashing down when his wife dies in a London terrorist attack. When his supervisors refuse to take action, his intelligence becomes the ultimate weapon as he embarks on a dangerous trek across the globe to track down those responsible.
Cast: Rami Malek, Rachel Brosnahan, Laurence Fishburne, Jon Bernthal
Rotten Tomatoes: 66%
Metacritic: 55/100
Some Reviews:
Production values are top notch, with a shout out to the special effects team for a spectaular set piece involving a pool collapse in Berlin that serves as the highlight of the action sequences. The screenplay by Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli tries its best to avoid the cliches of the overworked spy genre and manages to help create a worthy character for Malek to run with, maybe not as fast as Jason Bourne, but no less memorable.
This is the third thriller that Rami Malek has made since becoming a star in “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and it nudges his tense, twitchy moodiness even closer to the center of his brand. He’s the right actor to play a digital geek turned mindhunter; those eyes of his glare like lasers. Mostly, though, Malek plays out his methodical mission of vengeance as if it were something almost theoretical. The conceit of “The Amateur” — that Charlie must do all this himself — remains, at heart, a conceit. That’s why the movie is okay but never, you know, killer.
Guardian - Peter Bradshaw - 2/5
There is a fundamental problem concerning how ruthless Charles is supposed to be in killing his wife’s murderers in cold blood and the final confrontation with the homicidal mastermind involves a very muddled exchange of views.
The Hollywood Reporter - David Rooney
It at least looks and feels like a real movie. That might sound like not much of a distinction. But in this age of assembly-line streaming originals that play like bland knockoffs of a dozen multiplex hits you’ve seen before, it’s not nothing, either.
IndieWire - David Ehrlich - C+
An aggressively competent spy thriller that has less use for logic than its lead actor does for his smile... the film makes a compelling enough case to sustain itself across the entire television season’s worth of plot that it packs into two hours.
awakeinthedark - Brent Leuthold - 2.5/5
The Amateur isn’t a bad movie from a technical perspective. Despite some misjudged shaky cam, it’s well-shot and edited in a way that makes its 2-hour runtime move along briskly. It’s just not a film that distinguishes itself enough from other revenge or spy films we’ve seen already. Its release comes just a few weeks after Black Bag, already one of the year’s best, which also follows spies chasing spies but does so with much more panache and thematic heft.
Top Comment: The adverts make it seem like the same movie as Accountant 2 and they both have John Bernthal in them to boot
“Amateurs”-“expert” ✅
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Those are the 2 ends of the spectrum (I think, if you can think of anything else besides beginner then go ahead)
but what about the middle? What are the terms between? Between amateur and expert? Anything you can think of
Top Comment:
Novice
Apprentice
Neophyte
Intermediate
Mediocre
Real Amateurs & Beginners
Main Post:
Stealing this from r/sonyalpha where are my true amateurs and beginners at? Share you social, I want to see your photos!
“I follow a lot of pros, and "amateurs" that might as well be pros, and they give me something to aspire to. But I'd love to see some fellow noobs who are still very much in the learning process like I am with sony! Show me your instas, your fb, whatever, I don't care if you think it's trash! :) it just makes me happy to see others who are in the same stage as me also getting better n stuff.”
Top Comment: Ya I'm not dropping my FB on reddit. I should really post here more often. I'm not a beginner at this point but I don't do this for a living either.