Pretty typical espionage/revenge thriller, largely quite a predictable plot and a slightly anti climactic ending. Rami Malek was great though, he elevates this from an average movie to a decent one.

i could do this

the most realistic part of this is Rami Malek's portrayal of an American tourist blasting a YouTube video at full volume in public, not a care in the world

[English + French] 🇺🇸🇬🇧 The Amateur by James Hawes. I haven’t seen the 1981 movie or read the book, so I can’t compare, but it was a nice surprise. The story is well put together, and it’s refreshing to have a hero who isn’t a superman — he has skills, especially in IT and intelligence, but he’s still very vulnerable on the ground. He stays a step ahead of his superiors, which makes the CIA seem a bit too clueless at times. The movie takes us to several countries and cities in Europe, pausing when it needs to move the story forward, while also keeping us running to remind us of the constant stress of this mission, mixing vengeance and a manhunt. One small regret about the trailer, which reveals the most striking scenes: you end up waiting for them, knowing they’re coming, and the next ten minutes feel like they’re just building up to that moment. It takes away some of the tension. Rami Malek is really good. He plays a tense, unsure guy who can push himself when needed. His expressions really fit the idea of someone who works in the shadows, never revealing themselves. In the end, the movie is easy to watch. You really want to see Charles succeed in mourning the way he wants. 🇫🇷 The Amaeur by James Hawes. Je n'ai pas vu le film de 1981 ni lu le livre, donc je peux pas comparer, mais bonne surprise. L’histoire est bien ficelée, et ça fait du bien d’avoir un héros qui n’est pas un surhomme — il a des compétences, surtout en informatique et en renseignement, mais il reste très vulnérable sur le terrain. Il garde une longueur d’avance sur ses supérieurs, ce qui rend la CIA un peu trop larguée de façon exagérée à certains moments. Le film nous fait voyager dans plusieurs pays et villes d’Europe, en se posant quand il faut pour faire avancer le récit, tout en nous relançant régulièrement dans la course pour rappeler le stress constant de cette mission mêlant vengeance et cavale. Petit regret concernant la bande-annonce, qui montre les scènes les plus marquantes : on se retrouve à les attendre, et à sentir que les dix minutes qui précèdent ne sont là que pour les amener. Ça casse un peu la tension sur certains passages. Rami Malek est vraiment bon. Il incarne bien un mec tendu, pas sûr de lui, mais capable de se dépasser quand il faut. Il a des mimiques qui collent bien à l’idée qu’on se fait de quelqu’un qui travaille toujours dans l’ombre sans jamais se révéler. En finalité le film se laisse regardé facilement. On veut voir Charles réussir a faire son deuil de la façon qu'il désir.

Even though this movie was a bit slow, it was a very good Tech-Thriller, a genre which is of course one of my favs. The character which suited Rami Malek very well and overall a good watch. Recommended.

<blockquote>"I can't make you into something that you are not."</blockquote> I always have fun with a good vengeance story and Rami is pretty cool in this, but I do think it builds up then ends in a way that didn't really satisfy me. He does some impressive things in this but that ending lowered my rating. Hard to explain without spoilers. It's like if Mr. Robot had no balls.

Good for a good moment night 👌