For the new CIA revenge thriller, The Amateur, director James Hawes is not interested in flashy filmmaking or kinetic editing. Adapted from author Robert Littell’s well-received 1981 novel of the same name, Hawes understands the drama comes from the characters and his patient handling of the material is a welcome throwback to the dialogue-driven thrillers of the 60s and 70s. Less Jason Bourne and more adult themes are the orders of the day, as the picture sustains tension through its well-designed screenplay and compelling narrative.

In 1981, director Charles Jarrott adapted Littell’s novel into a solid Canadian thriller starring John Savage, Christopher Plummer, and Marthe Keller, who has a cameo in this one as a florist. The film received mixed reviews and failed to make a dent at the box office, but found a small cult following when it hit HBO. Jarrott’s version worked well, but suffered from a certain sluggishness now and again. While remakes or “second adaptations” are never a good idea, this was a story that could have benefited from an update. 44 years later, 20th Century Studios has produced a film that stays true to the characters created in Little’s novel, although a few changes are made.

Updated for today’s times (but not drowning in an overuse of modern technology), this isn’t a conventional Hollywood thriller fueled by “Cool” gadgets and over the top action. Written by Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli, The Amateur keeps its focus on character while taking aim at illegal use of power and state sanctioned murder through government-trained killers privately funded through the C.I.A. payroll.

Rami Malek is perfect as C.I.A. cryptographer Charles Heller, whose wife, Sarah (Rachel Brosnahan), is murdered in London after being taken hostage by terrorists. Heller becomes frustrated when the retribution promised by his bosses never comes to fruition and goes digging. He is given secret files by his longtime foreign contact, whose identity is still unknown save for their code name, Equiline. The information reveals illegal actions and a myriad of deceit that led to a drone strike which killed over 1000 innocent civilians. These actions were executed by his direct superiors Directors Moore and Caleb (well-played by Holt McCallany and Danny Sapani, respectively). As he realizes their promises are as empty as their moral codes, Heller confronts them with what he knows and threatens to reveal it to the press unless they agree to train him so he can be the one to kill those who murdered his wife and destroyed his life. Overlooked by those who pay him, Heller now holds certain fates in his hands as he tries to come to terms with his own.

Moore and Caleb reluctantly oblige and send their potential whistleblower to be trained by CIA operative Robert Henderson (Laurence Fishburne, always the coolest actor in the room). It is immediately clear that Heller is not cut out for this type of work. As Henderson tells him, “You aren’t a killer.” 

The few scenes of training are seriously lacking, save for a quick moment where Heller impresses Henderson by showing his untapped skill at making a bomb; a foreshadowing that sets the stage for a couple of later scenes filled with wire-tight tension. The film doesn’t spend enough time with Heller and Henderson, failing to explore the dramatic sparks that could have been mined from their time together at the training facility. The two skilled actors are able to make something interesting out of a passage that should have been stronger, but seems to be hurried through with the goal of getting to “the good stuff’.

Malek and Fishburne give the film’s two best performances, with McCallany and Sapani lending excellent support. It is the rest of the cast that draws the short straw. Julianne Nicholson is the new head of the CIA, but her role is underwritten. Same goes for Jon Berthnal as one of Moore and Caleb’s trained killers. The actor comes and goes too quickly while a later scene between his character and Heller should have been a more unnervingly dangerous experience.

Caitríona Balfe does well as a former KGB operative whose husband was murdered by their bosses. The bond she shares with Heller is well-explored, although the screenplay changes their characters’ more interesting fates.Michael Stuhlbarg (one of today’s most inventive character actors) is given too little screen time in a role that had more punch in the source novel and in the 1981 film. 

Imperfections aside, director Hawes has created a sharp revenge thriller born of the surveillance era that doesn’t hide behind flashy filmmaking tricks. The added modernism to Littell’s original work results in a good deal of suspense. Hawes and his editor Jonathan Amos aren’t concerned with tired, rapidly cut scenes of C.I.A. operatives huddled in a room repeating the phrase, “Do you have eyes on the asset?” over and over. The plot is slowly unraveled and the relaxed pacing allows Malek to design a layered and relatable performance while the director holds on to the intricacies of the story. A couple of scenes where Heller gets his revenge by creating elaborate death traps are a bit hard to swallow, but entertains nonetheless. The unwavering commitment of the filmmakers and their lead actor make everything work. 

The story’s politics are certainly a fantasy, but it is good to see the government actively stepping up to punish its own when serious crimes are committed, even if it is just in a movie. What makes this one work so well is how Heller remains detached from the killings. His determination to be the hand that strikes down his wife’s killers never weakens. Heller understands he is not made for “wetwork”, but this is personal. The lines between right and wrong, legal and illegal, are not so much blurred, but pushed aside until he has completed his personal mission. Charles Heller is an intriguing character and Malek embodies him completely. 

There are a few too-comfortable coincidences and the novel’s more serious finale is given too sunny a polish, but The Amateur is a dramatically captivating and gripping character study of revenge. The film seeks to intrigue its audience rather than dazzle; a lesson today’s thrillers need to learn.   

The Amateur

Written by Ken Nolan & Gary Spinelli (Based on the novel by Robert Littell)

Directed by James Hawes

Starring Rami Malek, Laurence Fishburne, Holt McCallany, Danny Sapani, Julianne Nicholson, Rachel Brosnahan, Jon Berthnal, Michael Stuhlbarg

PG-13, 123 Minutes, 20th Century Studios