David O. Russell’s newest cinematic offering Amsterdam is a difficult project to categorize. It’s part whimsical comedy, part conspiracy mystery, and part character study. Luckily, it manages to mostly pull off its delicate balancing act (while not always nailing its pacing), thanks to the engrossing script and its all-star cast.
Amsterdam’s story is rooted in reality, with an immediate title card informing the audience that most of what they are about to see actually happened. However, to reveal too much about the movie’s machinations would be to spoil the story for anyone who hasn’t brushed up on their early 20th-century American history.
The story begins in 1933 with an introduction to Christian Bale’s Burt Berendsen, a doctor operating a New York clinic that provides services to veterans of the first World War. Berendsen is a veteran himself, sporting a glass eye and a back brace as a result of his wartime injuries. He is asked by his friend Harold Woodman (John David Washington) to perform an autopsy on their deceased general, as his daughter (Taylor Swift) suspects foul play. What Burt and Harold don’t know is that they are about to be pulled into a much bigger mystery than they think.
This event also serves as an entry point to dive into how Burt and Harold came to know each other in the war, and how they eventually crossed paths with Valerie Voze (Margot Robbie), a nurse and artist, forming a friendship in the titular city. The three are eventually reunited through their inquiry into the general’s death, and the malevolent forces operating just behind the scenes. Together, they must unravel the mystery, eventually enlisting the help of a famous general (Robert De Niro).
The central trio of Bale, Washington, and Robbie all deliver excellent performances. Bale, especially, inhabits the character of Burt so well that, much like he has done in the past, he practically disappears into the role. Similarly, Robbie brings a light and fun energy to Valerie while also being able to play some of the deep sadness residing within her. Washington’s Harold is more subdued, but he is the perfect foil to the bigger characters around him, and his and Valerie’s chemistry in particular is excellent.
Beyond the central cast of characters is a murderer’s row of A-listers all receiving varying amounts of screen time. This includes Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Rock, Michael Shannon, Mike Myers, Rami Malek, Zoe Saldana, Timothy Olyphant, Ed Begley Jr., and Andrea Riseborough. Each of them brings plenty of charm and purpose to their roles, even if Chris Rock is mostly just being himself. Myers might be having the most fun of anyone as a British intelligence officer with a penchant for birdwatching. In a lesser film, this cast might be distracting, but everyone slots into their roles well, and never steals the spotlight.
Given the nature of the story, it could be assumed that Amsterdam is a heavy narrative, but Russell’s writing and direction keep everything feeling very fleet. The voiceover narration and dialogue all have a lyrical quality to them, not sounding entirely natural, but fitting the tone of the movie perfectly. The movie has the same sort of vibe as a late Wes Anderson project: a period setting, whimsical dialogue, and a huge cast, albeit without some of the directorial idiosyncrasies that have come to define Anderson’s work.
Russell’s script really shines in how it uses the issues of the past to reflect on the issues of today, particularly in regard to the treatment of veterans. Amsterdam makes this a central conceit of its storytelling, even if it does occasionally lose sight of it to focus on telling its story. There’s also a more political theme running through the plot, one that is somehow more relevant than ever, but to dive too deep into that would be to reveal too much of the movie’s central mystery. There’s also a throughline of how important love and friendship can be, which may sound treacly, but is handled with a fair amount of seriousness, and given a broader scope to define not just romance but love for one’s fellow human beings.
While there are plenty of strengths in Amsterdam’s writing, the occasional spots of weakness are in its pacing and how effectively it builds up its hidden conspiracy. Individual scenes can really stand out based on the great performances and the dialogue, but the grander scheme tying everything together never feels all that omnipresent, and Amsterdam doesn’t quite stick the landing on its grand reveal. It's also a very long movie, and could have benefitted from some trimming in order to tighten up its story. However, its climax still packs a lot of excitement and a fiery speech from De Niro.
Along with the story and characters, Amsterdam is also a gorgeous movie. Russell packs plenty of period details into every scene, and gracefully swoops the camera through specific moments, performing a delicate dance with the performances and lending them extra weight. There are also subjective moments, such as the characters staring directly into the camera and reciting the name of the movie, emphasizing its importance to both the story and its central relationship.
Amsterdam is hard to define, but it is a delight nonetheless. The lightness of its script is a perfect counterpoint to some of its darker elements, which never overtake the story too much. There is seriousness here, but it is viewed through a slightly absurdist lens, questioning how something so seemingly ridiculous could ever be factual. There is likely a good reason that this movie is coming out now, seeing as how much relevance it has to current events, but its themes also make it feel timeless. Amsterdam is a story that is as much about the strength of love as it is a large-scale conspiracy. It's a movie that, for all its imperfections, still finds beauty in the most unlikely of places.