Christian Bale, Margot Robbie and John David Washington star in Amsterdam, a 2022 mystery comedy from David O. Russell. The film follows three friends — a doctor, a nurse and a lawyer — who witness a murder, become suspects themselves and uncover one of the most outrageous plots in American history. It is based on the Business Plot, a 1933 political conspiracy in the US, and it premiered at the Alice Tully Hall on September 18, 2022, before a theatrical release on October 7 by 20th Century Studios.
Trailer, via 20th Century Studios.
Burt, Harold and Valerie
Burt Berendsen is played by Bale. He is a doctor who fought in World War I. Harold Woodman, played by Washington, is an African-American soldier who becomes Burt’s closest friend. They are both sent to fight in France, where they are nursed back to health by nurse Valerie Bandenberg, played by Robbie.
After the war, the trio live together in Amsterdam. Burt returns to New York City to be with his wife. Harold begins a romantic relationship with Valerie. Valerie eventually abandons Harold, who also returns to New York. Fifteen years later, Burt has opened his medical practice treating veterans of the war. Harold is now a lawyer, and they have not heard from Valerie since they left Amsterdam.
The film’s central question is simple: why did Valerie leave? The answer takes the story into a conspiracy involving a retired U.S. general, a senator, a wealthy textile heir and a murder cover-up.
The Murder and the Frame
The plot turns on the death of Senator Bill Meekins, who served as the commander of Burt and Harold’s regiment during the war. His daughter Elizabeth, played by Taylor Swift, hires Burt to perform an autopsy after she believes he was murdered during a trip to Europe.
Aided by medical examiner Irma St. Clair, Burt performs the autopsy and finds poison in Meekins’s stomach. Elizabeth is killed when a hitman pushes her into traffic. The hitman then frames Burt and Harold for her death, and they flee as the police arrive.
Burt and Harold try to find out who told Elizabeth to hire them. This leads them to Tom Voze, a wealthy textile heir played by Mike Myers. His wife Libby, played by Anya Taylor-Joy, is the sister Valerie, whose real surname is Voze. Valerie had persuaded Elizabeth to hire Burt and Harold, knowing that they were trustworthy.
Valerie is under constant supervision by Tom and Libby, who claim that she suffers from a nerve disease and epilepsy. They were actually poisoning Valerie to keep her compliant. The scheme is elaborate and cruel, and it sets the stage for the film’s final act.
Russell’s Direction
Russell directs from a screenplay he wrote himself. The film runs 134 minutes. It is his first feature since Joy (2015). The movie is a mystery comedy, though it leans heavily on the drama of its central conspiracy.
Critics singled out the screenplay and direction as weak points. The pacing is uneven, and some scenes feel padded. The film’s tone shifts without warning, moving from comedy to horror to tragedy within a single conversation.
The film’s tagline, “Let the love, murder and conspiracy begin,” promises a wild ride. It delivers on the murder and the conspiracy, but the love story between Harold and Valerie feels thin next to the larger plot.
The Chemistry Problem
The relationship between Burt and Harold anchors the film. Their friendship is built on trust and loyalty, and it holds up across the story’s twists. Bale and Washington play the pair with a quiet intensity that grounds the film’s more absurd moments.
Robbie’s Valerie is harder to pin down. She is the pivot point of the conspiracy, the woman who persuades Elizabeth to hire Burt and Harold. Her motivations are unclear, and the film spends little time exploring why she abandoned Harold in the first place.
The chemistry between Robbie and Washington is the film’s biggest weakness. Critics noted the lack of connection between the two leads, and it shows in scenes where they should be working together to solve the case. The dynamic between Burt and Harold works far better than the one between Harold and Valerie.
Supporting Cast and the Ensemble
The supporting cast is strong. Chris Rock plays Milton King, a character whose role is not detailed in the source material. Matthias Schoenaerts plays Detective Lem Getweiler, and Timothy Olyphant plays Taron Milfax. Michael Shannon plays Henry Norcross, and Mike Myers plays Paul Canterbury.
Alessandro Nivola plays Detective Hiltz, who pursues Burt and Harold after the hitman’s frame. Andrea Riseborough plays Beatrice Vandenheuvel, and the film’s source material does not describe her role beyond her name.
The ensemble is large, and the film gives each actor a chance to shine. But the script does not always know what to do with them. Some characters appear briefly, deliver a line and disappear without leaving much of an impression.
The Box Office Bomb
Amsterdam was a commercial failure. It was released in the fall of 2022, and it failed to draw audiences despite its star power. The film’s estimated loss for the studio was over $100 million.
| Film | Year | Genre | Runtime | Director | Critical Reception |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam | 2022 | Mystery, Comedy, Drama | 134 minutes | David O. Russell | Generally negative |
The critical response was harsh. Reviews focused on the screenplay and direction, as well as the chemistry problem between Robbie and Washington. The film’s attempt to balance comedy, drama and conspiracy thriller fell apart under Russell’s direction.
Our Verdict
Amsterdam is a film with ambition and a talented cast, but it falls short of delivering on either. The conspiracy plot is clever, and the cast is capable. But the screenplay is loose, the pacing is uneven, and the central romance never catches fire.
The film is worth seeing for Bale and Washington’s performances alone. Their friendship is the best thing in the movie, and it carries scenes that would otherwise collapse under the weight of the script. Robbie is less effective, and the chemistry between the leads is the film’s fatal flaw.
The film is a curiosity, a high-profile misfire from a director known for hits. It is not a waste of time, but it is not a recommendation either. It is a film that tries too hard to be everything at once and succeeds at none of it.
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