Review: 'Amsterdam' Spans Genres, Boasts a Stellar Cast

It's easy to piss on David O. Russell's odd new film, "Amsterdam" because it doesn't live up to films like "The Fighter," "Silver Linings Playbook," or "American Hustle."

But "Amsterdam" has a special character all its own. Yes, the film's tone is erratic, but that's deliberate. Why must a filmmaker stick to one genre if the lunatic story being told lends itself to a delicious blend of comedy, mystery, thriller and satire? Toss in the dynamic and stunning Margot Robbie, and let's just say, I was never bored.

To the many detractors, yes, the dialogue is sometimes annoyingly anachronistic, and the muddled plot sometimes made my brain hurt, but when has Russell not been indulgent? Yet, Russell knows how to assemble a great cast, and in "Amsterdam" they are so fully committed to their characters and the story that it's hard not to simply enjoy the ride.

Full disclosure: I am not a big fan of Russell's oeuvre. I feel his films are incredibly overrated, "The Fighter" notwithstanding, and he has never made a film truly worthy of a Best Picture nomination (though he and his films have garnered three!). But it simply astonishes me that the group of journos who showered him with praise and awards for the simply good-but-not-great, "American Hustle" are now ripping "Amsterdam" to pieces and trying to take the director down. Is it because of his past crap behavior? So, he's temperamental – many of our finest directors are. Can't we learn to separate the art from the artist?

In "Amsterdam," which apparently took years to develop, Russell turns to a mostly-ignored snippet from U.S. history and weaves a crazy plot from the fact that in the 1930s, a looney but wealthy group of fascists were attempting to overthrow our government. (Hmmm... the 1930s, you say? Sounds like 2022.) From that premise, Russell then goes mostly rogue.

Christian Bale, having a whopper of a good time, plays Burt Berendson, a glass-eyed ex-soldier, now a doctor who is helping his patients in mostly illegal ways. His army bud and now attorney, Harold Woodman (John David Washington), asks Burt to help him perform an autopsy on a general. Things get nutty from there, as we learn that their presumed dead "Jules et Jim"-esque partner in Amsterdam crime, Valerie Voze (a truly dazzling and captivating Margot Robbie), is indeed alive. When we first meet Valerie, we assume she is French, but we soon learn her true origins, as well as why the title is so significant and what her relationship is to the two war buddies.

I will not go into any more plot details, since part of the joy of watching is not knowing what is coming. (And I made my brain hurt again just writing that paragraph above.)

What is important to note is just how fabulous the cast is. Weaving in and out of this mega-star-powered mosaic are Anya Taylor-Joy (hilarious), Alessandro Nivola, Andrea Riseborough, Chris Rock (deliciously deadpan), Matthias Schoenaerts, Michael Shannon, Mike Myers, Taylor Swift, Timothy Olyphant, Zoe Saldaña (a delight), Rami Malek, and Robert De Niro. Each makes their mark.

The film is stunningly shot by Emmanuel Lubezki, who has the camera revel in the zaniness. The film moves swiftly, and, in the end, we are left with heady themes about how history seems to keep repeating itself, but also how perhaps there can be glimmers of hope seeping through the muck.

"Amsterdam" premieres exclusively in theaters Oct. 7, 2022.