20th Century Studios has released the first trailer for David O’Russell’s “Amsterdam.” Described as “a fascinating and richly intricate tale that brilliantly weaves historical fact with fiction for a timely, cinematic experience,” the film stars Christian Bale, two-time Oscar® nominee Margot Robbie, and John David Washington in an original crime epic about three close friends who find themselves at the center of one of the most shocking secret plots in American history.
Played against the sounds of Ten Years After’s “I’d Love to Change the World,” the trailer opens with Milton (Chris Rock), shocked that Burt (Bale), Harold (Washington) and Valarie (Robbie), would bring a dead guy in a box before him. “You got a dead white man in a box. Not even a casket! Doesn’t even have a top on it. In a pine box of old wood,” Milton describes. “Who do you think is going to get in trouble here?”
“Do me a favor,” Burt says looking into the camera as if he’s breaking the fourth fall. “Try to be optimistic.”
After that, the trailer reveals its murder mystery comedy story with what sounds like the opening of joke. “You don’t get here, without things starting a long time ago,” Burt says. “So, two soldiers, and a nurse, find themselves in…”
“Amsterdam,” Valarie concludes.
Burt then informs the view that the three formed a pact, promising to protect each other no matter what. Though their grifts aren’t teased, we hear the lyrics “tax the rich” that seems to indicate that as the one percent thrive in a post-depression era, the three will do anything to make sure they don’t live below the poverty line.
As such, the three friends pulling off heists using their theatrics like role playing or wearing a glass eye. But the trailer reveals they are in over their heads, as one of their jobs unravels into something darker that involves conspiracies, murder, some humor, and more. “This is all turning out to be a lot larger than any of us,” Valarie says. “You’re going to have to take my lead getting out of this.”
“I had to stab a guy, I had to hit a lady with a brick one time,” Valarie adds as to prove she’s up for the job.
“What?!” Bale responds.
Don’t expect too much of a plot description. In fact, the only detail that was provided in the trailer was “A lot of this actually happened.” Which begs the question, how much of what we are seeing can we believe? As the trailer progresses, tags read “Three friends altered the course of American history.”
And the bit in the end about Burt’s reaction to Tom’s (Rami Malek) special elixir to cure his pain had me laughing. Just the delivery was so spot on.
Alessandro Nivola, Andrea Riseborough, Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Rock, Matthias Schoenaerts, Michael Shannon, Mike Myers, Taylor Swift, Zoe Saldaña, with Oscar-winner Rami Malek and two-time Academy Award winner Robert De Niro also star.
Written and directed by five-time Oscar nominee David O. Russell, “Amsterdam” is produced by Arnon Milchan, Matthew Budman, Anthony Katagas, David O. Russell, and Christian Bale, with Yariv Milchan, Michael Schaefer, and Sam Hanson serving as executive producers.
