Displaying items by tag: Jon Bernthal

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?

ORIGIN

US, 2023, 141 minutes, Colour.

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, John Bernthal, Niecy Nash, Emily Yancey, Finn Wittrock, Victoria Pedretti, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Isha Blaaker, Vera Farmiga, Audra McDonald, Connie Neilson, Blair Underwood, Nick Offerman, Myles Frost, Suraj Yengde.

Directed by Ava DuVernay.

The title, Origin, is significant. However, more significant is the word, Caste. In fact the film is based on the book by Isabel Wilkerson, Caste: the Origins of our Discontent. And, checking on the general meaning of caste: any class or group of people who inherit exclusive privileges or are perceived as socially distinct. We note that the word “socially” is underlined and the film will show that this is a key understanding of differences rather than racism, remembering the unity of race in India and the classic example of a caste system.

This sounds as if this film is something of a seminar on social issues. And, in many ways, it is. However, there is also a strong narrative, the story of Isabel Wilkerson herself and a powerful performance by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, her background, African-American, her family, especially her relationship to her mother who is going into care, a loving relationship with her husband, white, played by John Bernthal. And it is a film about her career as a Pulitzer prize-winning author, urged by a friend to explore race issues in the United States but this leading her to her exploration of the meaning of, significance of, living of, caste.

There are quite a lot of discussion scenes but the film also uses the device of telling stories within stories. We receive a shock when Isabel looks at a photo in a gallery, Nazi authorities gathered for a meeting and then this is dramatised, the dialogue is about ridding Aryan society of the Jews, but looking at American legislation, Jim Crow laws, which they think of incorporating into 1930s German law. And this is illustrated by a mass rally, everybody with the Nazi salute except one, a young man who wants to marry a Jewish girl. And the consequences of this relationship and the authorities is shown brutally.

Another illustration is the story of two couples going undercover in the southern states, one black, one white, academics who are investigating and writing reports. One telling sequence has the sheriff driving through the white area to smiles and applause, then driving through the black area, scowling and the residents with impassive, blank faces.

And, towards the end of the film, a very moving anecdote, an old man reminiscing about 1951, an African-American boy in the Little League, not allowed into the swimming pool, the guard declaring it would have to be decontaminated if he touched the water.

There are also some palpable interviews, compounded by the grief at the death of her husband, the needs of her mother, discussions with her sympathetic cousin, terminally ill, and a telling sequence with star Audra McDonald as Miss Hale, remembering the school principal condemning her for looking him in the eye and rebuking her for demanding to be called Miss at her trying to explain that this was her actually given name.

Isabel Wilkerson also goes to India, visual images of the caste system, a very jolting sequence about the Dalits and their having to clean sewers by hand for the privileged castes.

This is a long film, serious-mindedly directed by Ava DuVernay (Selma), interesting in its storytelling but demanding in its challenge to the audience to acknowledge racism but to explore the idea of caste, and the sad and sometimes savage effects of this kind of privilege superiority over those considered lesser mortals.

1. A challenging film, narrative, portrait of the author, the story? But a film of issues?
2. The writing-director the film career, experience, African-American, race issues?
3. The period, the 2010s, the range of flashbacks? Isabel as a character, journalist, Pulitzer Prize-Winning author, relationship with Brett, life with him, his being white? Her relationship with her mother? Her mother in care? Institution? Her career, the publishers and challengers? The details of her life with Brett, the relationship? The details of her relationship with her mother? With her cousin? The clash with Brett, the suddenness of his death, the funeral and sadness? Her mother, advice, her mother’s death?
4. The publishers, contact with her, at the social, the interview with the journalist, his urging her for further research? Pause after the deaths of Brett and her mother, going back to writing, beginning her research, the various visits and testimonies, their being visualised? Her visit to India, the discussion with the professor about caste? The aspect of selling the house, her memories there, the house repairs and the visit of the plumber, discussions with him? And the resumption of this theme at the end and her walking through the renovated house?
5. The character Brett, White, the marriage to Isabelle, supporting her, the discussions, the challenge? The suddenness of his death?
6. The mother, her wisdom, the relationship, care, her death?
7. Marion, the bond with Isabelle, the discussions, her advice, the terminal illness, Isabel in India, communicating with her, the phone calls?
8. The interview with Miss, telling her story, her name being Miss, the principal not believing it, looking in the eye, and his reaction to her direct approach? The contribution of her story?
9. The visualising of the couple who went undercover, black and white, their personalities, relationship, their expertise, their decisions on research? The south, the visuals, the scene with the sheriff driving through the white community and waving, smiles, kowtowing? The contrast with his drive-through the black area, the silent faces, no response, his sternness? The couple being embedded, their experiences, their writing, the achievement, the photos at the end?
10. Germany, the 1930s, the picture, the dramatising of the picture, issues of the Nazis, superiority, the Jews, looking at American legislation and racism embodied in law, their motivations, race, the humiliation of the Jews, the visualising of the couple, his not saluting, her being Jewish, their time together, the attempt to escape, the arrest, the consequences?
11. The old man reminiscing, 1951, the little league game, the African-American boy, shared triumph, not allowed in the pool area, not in the water or it would have to be decontaminated, the pressure from the coach, laughed on the water, the Ranger, the boy not being allowed to touch the water, outside again, and the people passing him food? The old man and the regrets and his memory?
12. The theme of caste, the explanations, common humanity of the possibilities of being superior to others, the example of caste in India, Isabelle and her visit, the discussions with the professor, her observations of life in India? The visuals of the delegates, the humiliation, use of cleaning the toilets with their hands and visuals of this as an overpowering example for the film audience?
13. The challenge to the audience, expectations about race, racism, the visuals of American slavery, India, and Martin Luther King’s visit to India in the 1950s?
14. Isabel and her writing, ultimate success, the support of the editors, the publication?
15. The challenge to the audience to understand this idea of caste versus racism, the discussions, the speeches, the clarifications, and the elaboration of the pillars of caste?
16. The impact of the film for an American audience? For audiences outside the US?