Amsterdam (2022)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10304142/

The cast is quite impressive.

Set in the 1930s, the story follows three friends who witness a murder, find themselves framed for the crime, and eventually expose one of the most scandalous conspiracies in US History.

From what I can see, the movie was a total financial flop—they lost nearly $100 million at the box office. Even the reviews aren't great; the IMDb score is barely scraping a 6. That's just a shame, especially considering the subject matter and the cast we had here.

I can't quite recall if they claimed this was a true story or just inspired by one, but there are certain scenes that are honestly laughable.
First off, you have that bit set during World War I where Chris Rock plays a Black soldier making jokes at a white US Army general and somehow doesn't end up tied to a post with a blindfold over his eyes; then there are those other Black soldiers acting all defiant toward white officers, which feels surreal considering how people were being lynched back then just for being seen with the wrong crowd.

Secondly, the idea of a Black American nurse serving on the front lines in Europe and actually tending to white American soldiers? That’s pure science fiction.
According to the historical records, only about 18 Black nurses were even employed in 1918 due to the massive shortage of medical staff, and that was just within the US. Once their service ended, not a single one received benefits or a pension because they weren't classified as frontline combat nurses. You also have to wonder if they were even allowed to treat white soldiers or if they were restricted to treating wounded Black soldiers. It’s just a tiny glimpse into how rampant racism actually was back then, which stands in total opposition to so many things portrayed in this movie.

https://www.nps.gov/fomc/learn/histo...can-nurses.htm

So, this whole "woke" culture and the constant pushing of lies really rubs me the wrong way. What’s next, some version of William Wallace with Black soldiers, Asians, and lesbians in his ranks? 😵

The movie itself is fine; it was entertaining enough. 🙂

The cast is stacked, honestly, but younger audiences just don't care about that anymore. That's why the movie totally tanked at the box office...

Just throw some heavy-hitting actors at the screen and hope the audience doesn't notice how thin the script actually is.
Seen it all before.

I don't trust critics or the box office numbers until I've actually seen a movie myself. We recently had Top Gun, which hit both of those marks perfectly, yet the film was total garbage.

The poster is essentially telling me the movie is garbage and they won't bother watching it unless I see enough praise here to actually change their mind. It’s honestly a shame to watch Robert De Niro sink into such mediocre roles and subpar films. He seems incapable of stepping away from that mobster persona, regardless of what he's cast in. He could have maintained his dignity like Clint Eastwood did. Even Sylvester Stallone has a smaller catalog of bad movies than he does. 🕺

😁

The script is such a disaster it’s giving me a massive headache; the whole Washington part feels like some half-baked improv session.

The only character actually worth watching is Christian Bale's, just another one of his signature masterclasses, though he's probably not grabbing an Oscar nomination this time 🙏

The End was a total mess, and the editing 🤣 was honestly laughable.

side note; this Anya Taylor-Joy seems to be popping up in every single movie lately.
She, Timothée Chalamet, and Saoirse Ronan are basically a director's dream trifecta when you need young talent.

I’m really digging this one. It totally gives off those old-school noir vibes, which gives it such a cool charm. Honestly, I loved it. The slower pace was actually pretty relaxing, and Christian Bale’s deadpan expression was everything—the guy literally can't miss in my book. I could easily watch him in anything. 👍

The moment I see this many massive stars in one movie, I know it’s at best a solid 6/10, and usually much worse. I'm expecting a total flop and nothing more.

Well, now that I'm actually reading the comments, it looks like I was right.

Maybe Babylon (which I keep mixing up with New York City because of Margot Robbie) will perform slightly better, though it also has an alarming number of famous faces. Plus, it's over three hours long, lol. I highly doubt the attention span of the average person after a decade of smartphones and quick-fire apps can handle sitting through that for so long.

Since we're talking about the usual suspects in every recent film, Margot definitely needs to be added to that list too.

Man, what a mess they made of this movie. It was so close to actually being good, but they just killed it with those clunky dialogues and totally lifeless expressions. Honestly, John David Washington was the worst of the bunch—just so monotone, with such dull expressions... like he didn't even want to be there. And the chemistry between him and Margot Robbie? Nonexistent. There’s a massive gap between what they’re saying to each other and how they actually look—I don't think I've ever seen a disconnect like that in an A category film before.

The rest of the cast did alright, I guess, but everyone looked like they had some kind of facial paralysis preventing them from even smiling. It’s obvious Christian Myers was catering to a script where the actors basically had to recite lines verbatim. I don't know what else to say, but the movie just wouldn't click. The whole time, it felt like trying to crank an engine that just won't start. You keep thinking—okay, here we go, it's gonna happen—and then, nothing.

The weirdest part has to be that central New York City vibe where the three leads form this surreal friendship. I mean, first off: "Three's a crowd!" I have no idea how Christian Bale could even stand to be in the same room as Margot and Washington once they became a couple. Plus, I really don't see what was so magical about New York City. They barely showed us anything besides that one artsy room where they danced and hugged a bit.

Anya Taylor-Joy and Rami Malek are a killer pair, and since it turns out they were high the whole time, maybe the blank stares make sense? But still, I'm telling you, Washington's terrible acting is impossible to justify.

Benjamin Stewart53 said:The absolute worst part of the whole thing was John David Washington.

Honestly, I can’t seem to catch a movie where he isn't just terrible.

Honestly, this is easily one of the biggest flops of the year—especially when you consider the massive talent behind the camera and in front of it.
I already spilled all my thoughts in my Impressions section, so I won't bore you by repeating everything here, but seriously... this movie is total trash.
Maybe Christian Bale is the only reason it isn't a complete zero, but even he can't save this.

Honestly, this movie was a disaster... absolute bottom-of-the-barrel trash. It’s been a long time since I’ve sat through something this bad. 🕺

I don't even have the energy to get into the weeds here; everyone else has already nailed it.

Margot Robbie is stunning, but even she couldn't save this mess from the atrocious costume design. Honestly, her performance alone was the only reason I didn't walk out halfway through.

With that dark hair, Margot kinda gives off Olivia Wilde vibes—you know, like her role in Dr. House.

I watched about half an hour before just turning it off—it’s honestly terrible. The dialogue is painful. Even Christian Bale and Margot Robbie can't save this one. And don't even get me started on John David Washington and Taylor Swift; they were a total disaster. I haven't seen acting this bad since I was obsessed with those old movies like MegaCroc vs. MegaShark.

Is it even worth sticking with this, or should I just switch over to something better?

Matthew Johnson30 said:Just throw a powerhouse cast at it and hope the audience doesn't notice how thin the script actually is.
Been there, done that.

Now this is what a real movie description looks like👍

A solid film. Bill proves once again that he has real acting chops. Margot looks great with this more natural aesthetic, which is a massive improvement over that disaster of a Harley Quinn role. It isn’t for everyone, though. And don't even get me started on Taylor Swift. She’s really just there to get run over by the wheels. (It's almost as if the driver wanted to make a statement about her music). I waited patiently for about twenty minutes before really getting into the story, and I don't regret it one bit.