In the 1930s, three friends—a doctor, a nurse, and an attorney—witness a murder, become suspects themselves and uncover one of the most outrageous plots in American history.
Christian Bale
Burt Berendsen
Margot Robbie
Valerie Voze
John David Washington
Harold Woodman
Alessandro Nivola
Detective Hiltz
Andrea Riseborough
Beatrice Vandenheuvel
Anya Taylor-Joy
Libby Voze
Chris Rock
Milton King
Matthias Schoenaerts
Detective Lem Getweiler
Michael Shannon
Henry Norcross
Mike Myers
Paul Canterbury
Taylor Swift
Liz Meekins
Timothy Olyphant
Taron Milfax
Zoe Saldaña
Irma St. Clair
Rami Malek
Tom Voze
Robert De Niro
General Gil Dillenbeck
Mel Fair
Patient Wayne
Vaughn Page
Patient Victor
Bonnie Hellman
Shirley Pratt
Max Perlich
Morty Baum
Ed Begley Jr.
General Bill Meekins
Jessica Drake
Assistant Mortician
Colleen Camp
Eva Ott
Gabé Doppelt
Mrs. Minter
Lauren Shaw
Angry Theater Patron
Brandon Davis
Angry Pedestrian
Casey Biggs
Augustus Vandenheuvel
Dey Young
Alvelia Vandenheuve
Sean Avery
Battalion Leader
Gigi Bermingham
Belgian Nurse
André Tardieu
Church Official
Casey Graf
Eli Bepp
Rebecca Wisocky
Mrs. Moran
Daniel Riordan
Carlton
Steven Hack
Dr. Malin
Floyd Armstrong
Fred Hinson
Leonard A. Tucker Jr.
Larry Hinson
Baxter Humby
Pinched Nerve Guy
Richie Harrington
Waldorf Bellman
John Pirkis
British Ornithologist
Shedell
Crying Patient
Kindsey Vaughn
Sterilization Woman
Beth Grant
Mrs. Dillenbeck
Christopher Gehrman
Maguire
Shiree Nelson
Voze Secretary
Tom Irwin
Mr. Belport
Leland Orser
Mr. Nevins
David Babbitt
Mr. Jeffers
Mike Azevedo
Gala Announcer
Martin Harris
Bund Chanter #2
Christopher Kager
Bund Chanter #3
Donovan Hurst
Bund Chanter #4
Jarrett Johnson
Veteran Singer #1
Kawan DeBose
Veteran Singer #2
Deon Sams
Singing Soldier
Richard Harrington
Waldorf Bellman
Homer Aguilar
Patient (uncredited)
Dalila Ali Rajah
Dorothy (uncredited)
Chase Arrington
Patient (uncredited)
Vincent M. Biscione
Police Officer (uncredited)
Andrew Constantini
Hotel Doorman (uncredited)
Raphael Corkhill
French Officer (uncredited)
Timothy Donovan
Timothy (uncredited)
Susan Gray
Demon Woman (uncredited)
Adolf Hitler
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Mathew Trent Hunnicutt
Pedestrian (uncredited)
James Hunter
Gala Veteran (uncredited)
Samari Ijezie
Hotel Waitress (uncredited)
Valeria Malikova
Alice Marble (uncredited)
Luke Matheis
Checkers Player (uncredited)
Benito Mussolini
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Eloho Josephine Okujeni
Helper (uncredited)
Alef Orixa
Albert (uncredited)
Stefan Sharpe
Stagehand (uncredited)
Adam G. Simon
City Officer (uncredited)
Kalina Vanska
Dancing Nurse (uncredited)
Max David Weinberg
Bund Chanter (uncredited)
Mark Winn
Hospital Patient (uncredited)
Director, Writer
David O. Russell
October 4, 2022
With a star-laden cast and acclaimed Director David O. Russell at the helm, the new film “Amsterdam” arrives and touts a story mostly based on real events.
Following injuries they sustained serving in WWI, Dr. Burt Berendsen (Christian Bale) and Harold Woodman (John David Washington) return to New York to find a world where Veterans are not as welcome as they thought and racial division remains for Harold despite fighting for his country.
Burt having lost an eye in the war finds that his uptown In-Laws and wife shipped him to the war to get him out of the way as his mixed Catholic and Jewish heritage is not ideal for their version of society nor is his insistence on helping Vets at his practice over the cream of society.
When a wealthy socialite Liz Meekins (Taylor Swift) hires Harold to investigate what she believes is the murder of her prominent father, Burt is asked for his medical verification. When an unexpected event arises, Burt and Harold find themselves the leading suspects and must seek to find a way to clear their names from an ever-deepening mystery, one that brings them back into the circle of a former associate who treated them during the war named Valerie (Margot Robbie). The fact that Harold and Valerie had a relationship in Amsterdam following the war and that Burt was the adored friend of both further complicates the matter.
With complications mounting, the three must find a way to solve the mystery and save the day before the end of either dead or being charged for crimes they are innocent of with an ever-growing cast of characters and suspects for them to contend with.
The visuals of the film are solid as they capture the look and sounds of New York in the 1930s and the cast and costumes also lead to a fantastic level of immersion. Bale is so good as his character as it is hard to believe it is him as he transforms himself completely into a new being with a distinctive look, sound, and mannerisms which underscores how he is one of the most gifted and versatile actors ever.
The entire cast is very good from the leads to the supporting players but what hampers the film from truly achieving is that it is very slow and at times self-indulgent in the pacing and story.
There is an interesting premise, great cast, great performances, and solid visuals, but the film drags on without any regard to pacing, dramatic tension, or real surprises which in the end makes watching it a long task without the payoff one would expect, especially for the time the audiences has invested.
In the end, the film delivers entertainment and great performances but lacks the pacing and payoff to make the trip fully worthwhile.
3.5 stars out of 5.