The Amateur, a brand new adaptation of Robert Littell’s classic spy thriller, follows meek CIA analyst Charlie Heller as he goes on a globe trotting mission to bring his wife’s murderers to justice. The film is not Bond, and not Bourne, but is filled with elements of both, all with a sprinkling of John le Carré flair. In this Goggler exclusive, we sat down with director James Hawes to talk about the film’s influences, not over-explaining plot and story beats, Rami Malek, and updating the original film for 2025 sensibilities. We even snuck in a Lanterns question.
The Amateur is now screening on Malaysian cinemas.
Charlie Heller is a brilliant, but deeply introverted decoder for the CIA working out of a basement office at headquarters in Langley whose life is turned upside down when his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack. When his supervisors refuse to take action, he takes matters into his own hands, embarking on a dangerous trek across the globe to track down those responsible, his intelligence serving as the ultimate weapon for eluding his pursuers and achieving his revenge. The Amateur was directed by James Hawes and stars Rami Malek, Rachel Brosnahan, Caitríona Balfe, Jon Bernthal, Michael Stuhlbarg, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, Adrian Martinez, Danny Sapani, and Laurence Fishburne.
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