Description: At 29, Charles Heller was a mathematician without equal. At the CIA he was a computer expert wtihout peers. But when terrorists murder the most important woman in his life, he becomes an assassin without experience. To avenge her death, the CIA trained him, briefed him, armed him, and then... they abandoned him. The first 11 minutes will rivet you to your seat. IN A WORLD OF PROFESSIONALS, THERE IS NO ROOM FOR AN AMATEUR.
The Professional Amateur At least he is CIA intel and that is actually a big part of spying. The fact he wasn't part of the gun set doesn't make him less a spy. The story however wants you to think of him as a helpless bookworm. John Savage does one of the best roles of his career as a CIA agent that has been relegated to desk duty research which is his forte. When his fiance is killed overseas by ruthless terrorist he wants justice. With the help of his abilities he is able to formulate a plan and apply pressure in a way the CIA can't refuse. Good acting, directing, camera work, and music. Good action and great locations. A very entertaining movie that has been far overdue getting to DVD. Fans of spy movies should enjoy it and many that like action movies as well. Just as in the real world of espionage, all the loose ends aren't always tied in nice little knots. Fans of Tom Clancy will probably enjoy this one.
Hitchcock wouldn't write something this lame Although I can imagine the CIA killing someone to cover a conspiracy I do not find the plot believable. Assigning a similarity to Hitchcock just because the movie relies more on suspense than action doesn't make it worthy of such accolades. John Savage ventures behind the cold war curtain with no language skills and no operative training yet emerges with the girl in hand and all bad guys vanquished; the predictable ending. True, there is a twist at the end that does explain a gap in the plot. This movie is worth watching for no other reason than seeing if you can use the gap to predict the twist.
very good movie but with lot of loose ends in this movie, just like the original novel, 'the amateur' actually didn't only mean the vengeful young man who lost his love to bunch of terrorists, it seemed that everyone involved was an amateur, no matter he or she was a cia or kgb or anyone, everyone never thoroughly wiped out his or her paper trail. the scenario maybe good, but what john savage performed as the main character was just too awkward and clumsy, he played a very rigid role not survived by his intelligence but pure luck, because those people who tried deal with him were also very stupid and clumsy. the actions of chasing and tracing those terrorists were just too obvious and careless in a tightly controlled city, quite impossibly to convince. in order to let the storyline went through, the old kaplan got to leave f.molten's name and phone number on his deskpad, the woman who helped him in prague, got to keep her photo album with her uncle's business card inserted just beneath their photo...what an easy link to make the story go to the next scene. everything was just too conveniently kept there for the next person or group to pick up. a formulaic plot of the cia conspired a terrorist infiltrator to the terrorist network by sacrificing the innocent american citizens. if compare to today's sophisticated terrorist groups and their networks, what this movie and its original novel described was nothing but a child play. this an amateur's job, inevitably included the author of this novel.
Finally on DVD! A superb film about international espionage This is one of my all-time favorite spy flicks, and it is great that it is finally on DVD. This one was produced during the bad old days of the Cold War, but it still has relevance today, as it deals strongly with the subject of international terrorism, albeit of the Bader-Meinhoff gang variety rather than Islamofascism. No matter. This is a really fine film that most will enjoy.
The political message of this film is a bit disappointing, but never let it be said that I allow that to get in the way of enjoying a good film. John Savage, as the protagonist in this film, does a bang-up job, and I am surprised that this talented actor did not get more roles of this type.
This film features really good Cold War nostalgia, and has the effect of transporting the viewer back to Cold War Eastern Europe. Christopher Plummer, always a superb character actor, turns in a fine performance as the Czech counterespionage chief.
This is a fine film that anyone who likes spy flicks will want to pick up immediately, and view repeatedly. Highly recommended.
striking movie Lots of year ago when i saw this film in a cinema i was very impressed...now i had it on dvd last night and the effect was same..it's really a good movie..John Savage's performance is fantastic..
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