Amsterdammovie | - 2022

The heart of the narrative lies in the bond between three outcasts: Burt Berendsen (Christian Bale), a doctor who treats veterans with experimental prosthetic eyes and drugs; Harold Woodman (John David Washington), a lawyer; and Valerie Voze (Margot Robbie), a nurse who turns shrapnel into art. Their camaraderie was forged in 1918 Amsterdam, which the film depicts as a bohemian utopia free from the racial and social prejudices of the United States. This "Amsterdam" is less a location and more a state of mind—a fleeting period of blissful existence that the trio spends the rest of their lives trying to reclaim.

David O. Russell’s 2022 film Amsterdam is a sprawling, eccentric period piece that attempts to weave together a murder mystery, a historical conspiracy, and a deep meditation on the enduring power of friendship. Set primarily in 1933 New York with pivotal flashbacks to post-WWI Europe, the film utilizes a "murderer’s row" of A-list talent to explore a footnote of American history: the "Business Plot" to overthrow President Franklin D. Roosevelt. While critics often describe the film as a "convoluted mess," it remains a visually stunning and earnest attempt to find light in a darkening political landscape. AmsterdamMovie | 2022