Amsterdam? A movie about Amsterdam? Why would I want to watch a movie with such an unappealing title? As a matter of fact, why should you?
I'll give you one reason: Taylor Swift. You might not be a fan of her music, I certainly am, but cameos are a surefire way to get people interested in a movie. Most people, including myself, are enthralled by the prospect of seeing famous people outside their natural habitat. There's another famous rapper with something to do with this movie, but I'll tell you about that at the end of this review.
The movie is set in the post-Great War era, aka World War I. It follows three war veterans who are framed for murder. As they try to prove their innocence, they uncover a plot by American capitalists looking for ways to profit from warmongering and, at the same time, uphold Nazi ideals. The story is based on obscure real-life events in the 1930s. You are not going to care much about it; I didn't. To be honest, the plot sometimes felt like 'What is going on?' But sometimes, understanding a movie is not important.
Sometimes, it is just about taste. Personally, I love history, books, documentaries, and movies. However, that wouldn't be my first reason for enjoying this movie. And, no, Taylor Swift isn't it. Although I'll admit Taylor Swift was the bait, Christian Bale was the hook, line, and sinker. He's a phenomenal actor you might recognize as Batman from the best Joker movie ever; The Dark Knight trilogy. My personal favorite movie of his would be The Big Short, which he won an award for, by the way. He brings a dimensionality into the characters he portrays, and this time is no different. In this movie, he plays the lead role of a veteran doctor, blind in one eye, whose marriage to a high-class socialite is a sad but funny comic relief. His leading costars are Daniel Washington, who plays his best friend, an African American lawyer, and Margot Robbie, a nurse; they both met in Amsterdam. (Ten points for guessing correctly why a movie that takes place mostly in the USA is titled Amsterdam!)
You might be familiar with both names from the movies: and Suicide Squad, where Daniel Washington and Margot Robbie both star, respectively. Actually, this movie features a lot of movie stars. If I haven't interested you with the names already mentioned, there are other actors who you might like to see in this movie, including Robert de Niro, Chris Rock, Ramie Malek, amongst others.
If you haven't seen this movie yet and enjoy great acting, mystery, historical drama, and/or Taylor Swift, then I recommend you go see this at the cinema closest to you. Or wait till it comes to HBO. Or you can do that thing you usually do for movies you haven't paid for.
Do you agree that this movie is worth your time? If you've watched it, please tell me in the comments.
For those who still are not interested, please do it for Drake. He's an executive producer of Amsterdam.