Three friends who meet during World War I—a doctor, a lawyer, and a nurse—come together again in 1933 when they become involved in a murder and a vast, dangerous conspiracy. AMSTERDAM, released last year, reminds me a little of CHINATOWN with its period setting, the complex plot very loosely based on historical incidents, and its mutilated protagonist (Jake Gittes with his nose, Dr. Burt Berendson with his glass eye and injured back). Amsterdam becomes something of a metaphor, just as Chinatown did.
AMSTERDAM is a good film and I enjoyed it, but it’s not in CHINATOWN’s league.
Few movies are. The sepia-toned photography is beautiful and the cast led by
Christian Bale and Margot Robbie is good. Robert DeNiro is more restrained than
usual and is effective in a supporting role. The bad guys are suitably
despicable. In reading the reviews of this movie, which I usually do after I’ve
watched one, I see that they’re pretty evenly split, and for the most part,
people either love it or hate it. I come down in the middle of that. I think
AMSTERDAM is a pretty good movie but not a great one.
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