Displaying items by tag: Holt McCallany

THE AMATEUR

US, 2025, 123 minutes, Colour.

Rami Malek, Rachel Brosnahan, Jon Bernthal, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, Caitriona Balfe, Michael Stuhlbarg, Laurence Fishburne.

Directed by James Hawes.

Based on a novel by Newsweek reporter, Robert Littel, The Amateur was first filmed in 1981 with John Savage and Christopher Plummer. It was the era of popular spy novels by Robert Ludlum in one wit suggested that this version of The Amateur is “Bourne Again”! Not exactly, action sequences yes, but the central character here, Charlie Heller, played by Oscar winner Rame Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody as Freddie Mercury) would not necessarily be the first choice for an action hero!

In fact, he plays a highly skilled IT expert, perhaps of the “nerd” variety, at home in his sealed office and IT centre, making contacts, tracking, identifying voices, but also discovering that some of the CIA authorities are conducting illegal black ops.

This is where a film version of CIA action in the 1980s has to give considerable way to a version in the 2020s. The developments of IT, social networking, mobile phones, instant connections, instant surveillance, storage of information.

But, Charlie Heller has a loving relationship with his wife, Sarah, Rachel Brosnahan, her going to a meeting in London and to his shock and horror, grief and obsession, discovering that she has been killed during a robbery, offering herself as a hostage for someone else, being shot.

Acceptance of this reality is not the first response of Charlie Heller. Rather, he becomes obsessed with revenge.

As action films go, Charlie Heller’s determination, going through some rigorous CIA action training, but not very good with the gun, is a driving force in this action. And, as a bonus, the audience is treated to a wide range of location action, London, Paris, Marseille, Istanbul, in Romania, the Baltic coast… And Charlie, not only identifying who the villains are, especially the one who pulled the trigger, but he is able to track them down, them, destroy them.

However, as with so many action films, there is the issue of the plausibility, and then the question of credibility. With the action moving fast, what about realism and practical details of food, rest, toilet breaks, money in the pocket, the functioning or not of IT equipment, travel and air tickets…? Audiences accepting omissions because of the action?

As always, there are some moral questions, complications. The role of the CIA, illegal and secret black ops in the name of patriotism, these agents being held to account, International criminal gangs, ruthless business and murders, and, with Charlie Heller himself, the obsession of revenge, motivations of vengeance, and his setting up killings parallel to the set-ups by the villains. And, with Rami Malek the amateur action hero grieving the death of his wife, rather than an all-conquering beefed-up agent, there is also some emotional challenging.

1. Action level of the 1980s? Updating to the 2020s? The transition to the world of IT and espionage?
2. The international settings, Washington DC, London, Paris, Marseille, Istanbul, Turkish coast, Romania, the Russian coast? And the world of the CIA? The musical score?
3. The realism of the plot? Plausibility? Credibility? Practical details of food, rest, toilet breaks, money, close change, travel and air tickets…? Audiences accepting omissions because of the action?
4. The introduction to Charlie and Sarah, at home, ease with each other, love, his work on the plane, not travelling, her going to London? The contacts, the phone calls? And the various flashbacks during the film?
5. Charlie, going to work, his car, the cards, security, his workplace, computers, programming, espionage, his link with the mysterious corresponded, ears, guessing where he lived? Istanbul? And the later contact, revelation of the truth, the man being dead, his wife continuing the communications, Charlie going to her, her collaboration, his eyes in pursuit of the criminals? That they have covered, the siege, the attack, her death?
6. The robbery in London, the dramatics, on the television news, the details, the Chiefs informing Charlie, his reaction? His being seen as something of a nerd, his help with The bear, summoned by the Chiefs, his hold over them, his information about the illegal ops? There confronting him? The meetings with Chief O’Brien? The later investigations, interrogation of Moore, the lunch with him, their deceiving her?
7. Charlie, obsessed, the motivation, his phone, Internet connections, wanting to be trained, work Henderson, the discussions, shooting practice, Charlie and his limitations? Later Henderson being used, following him in Paris, to Marseille, the confrontations, Istanbul, the fight, his being wounded? And is later reappearing?
8. Charlie and his ability to identify the criminals, the techniques, voices and matches, images? His decision to track them down?
9. Money issues, motivation, the travel to London, information, to Paris, identifying the woman, at the gym, the suffocation, the fight, her escape, it by the van? Charlie and the bus to Marseille?
10. Marseilles, tracking down people, business of Henderson, the bar, getting information?
11. The criminal, the pool, his money, the swimming, Charlie and the confrontation, the dynamics of the pool, the water, the pressure, the interrogation, the threats, the explosion and the deluge?
12. Charlie, in Istanbul, the contacts, the information about Romania, his travel, the setting up of the cargo, the confrontation with the criminal, the threat, the explosives?
13. Information about Russia, the travel to the coast, seeing the criminals, the boat, his being abducted, the interrogation, the criminal giving him the gun, his inability to shoot, the criminal indicating Charlie’s motivations and setting up deaths?
14. The delay, in Finnish waters, the arrests? Charlie vindicated?
15. Washington, Director O’Brien, the arrests of the Chiefs, their illegal ops?
16. Charlie, the car, Henderson reappearing, his going home, flying the plane? Achievement?

THE IRON CLAW

US, 2023, 132 minutes, Colour.

Holt McCallany, Maura Tierney, Zac Efron, Harris Dickinson, Jeremy Allen White, Stanley Simons, Lily James, Michael J.Harney, Kevin Anton.

Directed by Sean Durkin.

A strong, tough title. And a reference to a wrestling technique, the strengthening of a hand, the shape of a claw, and descending, claw-like, on the head of an opponent. The signature of the wrestling family, the Von Erichs, but also a metaphor for the control of a father over his sons.

While this is a wrestling film with many wrestling sequences (someone remarking that they were not “fake” but “pre-arranged”, vividly bringing to life the moves, the tactics, the brutality, the theatricality, and the often wild enthusiasm of the cheering crowds.

This will appeal to wrestling fans. But, for non-wrestling fans, this is also a strong family drama. It is based on an actual family, the father a one-time champion but never receiving the final accolades, his surviving four sons and his domination of them, not only to follow his career path, but to be acknowledged, recognised as champions. (For audiences caught up in the family story, there is a lot of background information on the Internet.)

There is a black-and-white prologue, the success of Fritz Von Erich, a convincing performance by Holt McCallany, and his encouraging his little boys. Then a transition to 1979, memories of the death of a very young son, the four remaining brothers, strongly bonding, huge sense of family, devotion and loyalty to their tough mother, Maura Tierney, but relying on a sense of family support. Wrestling championship is expected of each of them.

The oldest of the four is Kevin, played by Zac Efron (a long way from High School Musical days). We see him train, devote himself to rigorous regimes, and success in the ring, and he is enjoying this way of life, almost a vocation. The next son, Kerry (Jeremy Allen White from The Bear) is away from home, training in football. After him comes David, Harris Dickinson, who is emerging with championship potential, is smarter than Kevin, more articulate, and favoured by his father to go on to greater things. The contrast is in Michael, Stanley Symons, who lacks the physical build of the others and is much more interested in music, playing in a band. But, he too will be caught up in the aura of wrestling.

This is not just a story of fame and fortune. The family is said to be “cursed” and, the drama focuses on the effect of the wrestling on each of the sons, pressures, health issues, suicidal episodes, injury and coma. And, always in the foreground, the relentless father, the demands on his sons, and in certain ways, he is the one who is cursed but does not recognise it.

At the end, as with films based on true stories, there is further information about the family and some photos. As a counterbalance to the wrestling, the training, the hard physicality, there is a rather ingenuous love story, Kevin encountering a fan, played by Lily James, who takes all the initiatives to break through his wrestling preoccupations that they might make a happy couple, happy family (and the end information tells us that they have been married for almost 40 years, happy children and grandchildren living with them).

So, for some audiences, the wrestling. For other audiences, the family story and the impact of a dominating and ambitious father.

1. The title, the hand, formation, iron, on the head of the opponent, blood? Symbol of the hold of the father over his sons?
2. True story, the popularity of wrestling in the US, professional wrestling, techniques, training, physical progress, moves, theatricality, not fake but prearranged, the commentaries, the media and television, the fans?
3. The 1970s, wrestling, the political background, scenes of Jimmy Carter, into the Reagan era?
4. The prologue, black-and-white, the father, his career, success, not winning the belt, encouraging his little boys?
5. The transition to 1979, the death of the young boy, his memories? The other sons, expectations? The father, his coaching, arranging bouts, contacts? Expectations of his sons, favouring one then the other? Fritz, his age, his relationship with Dottie, the long marriage, memories of their courtship, the bond between them, life at home, his personality? Dottie and her personality, restraint, keeping the house together? Meal sequences?
6. The focus of the film on Kevin, Zac Efron is physical presence, build, training, running, gymnasium, pushing himself? His ambitions? Loving wrestling, love for the family and the bonding? His performances? Success? His father’s ambition for him to win the award? His not winning it? Age? His bonding with David, David emerging as favoured by his father? Kevin’s reactions?
7. David, younger, taller, his physique, his determination, taking the microphone and speaking for Kevin? Training, success? The plans for Japan? His bringing up blood, the conversations with Kevin? The news of his death? The funeral? The response of the family?
8. Kerry, next in line, the football training, personality, his return, training, determination, the bouts, his successes, show bouts, exhilaration, the driving, the injury, the amputation, recuperation, trying the boots, practising with Kevin, failures and falls, depression, suicide?
9. Talk of the family curse, the deaths of the three boys, the curse effect on their father?
10. Michael, younger, his place in the family, different build, music, the band, their all escaping through the windows after their mothers forbidding them to go? Success with the band? His being brought in for wrestling, training, the bouts, the injury, coma, slow recovery, the meal table, mental limitations? Taking the pills, writing the note, wanting to go to a better place, his death?
11. The contrast with the romantic subplot, Pam as a fan, forward, talking to Kevin, bring him out of himself, his enjoying her company, her work as a vet, welcomed by the family, the wedding, her being pregnant?
12. The portrait of wrestlers, their personalities, names, press conferences, boasting, self-promotion?
13. The role of the media, promoters, Bill Mercer, working with Fritz, promotions, commentary, friendship?
14. The deaths in the family, the boasting of the champions on media, Kevin and his determination, to win, the years, the fight, his anger, the iron claw, being disqualified?
15. The final information, Kevin and Pam, almost 40 years married, the large family?
16. The contribution of the family to American professional wrestling?