Amateur (1994)

75% of critics liked it
(24 reviews)
85% of users liked it
(3,220 ratings)

Hal Hartley's fourth feature is a significant break from the quirky romantic comedy territory of his previous work -- though all of the deadpan idiosyncracies which make him such a singular filmmaker remain intact, here he tries his hand at the thriller genre, a move yielding typically… More Hal Hartley's fourth feature is a significant break from the quirky romantic comedy territory of his previous work -- though all of the deadpan idiosyncracies which make him such a singular filmmaker remain intact, here he tries his hand at the thriller genre, a move yielding typically unconventional and innovative results. Amateur stars Hartley mainstay Martin Donovan as Thomas, an amnesiac who, in the first scenes, wakes up in an alley, badly injured; he stumbles to a nearby coffeeshop where he meets Isabelle (Isabelle Huppert), a former nun and would-be nymphomaniac who now makes her living writing pornographic fiction. She takes him back to her apartment, where in time his past slowly begins to emerge -- a sharp contrast to the sweet, even naive soul that Huppert has befriended, it appears that the old Thomas was in fact a vicious pornographer whose attempted murder was at the hands of his wife, adult film star wife Sofia (Elina Lowensohn). Thomas is also the target of a nefarious European arms merchant whose hired guns are hot on his trail. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 45 min.
Directed By: Hal Hartley
Written By: Hal Hartley
Genres: Art House & International, Mystery & Suspense, Comedy

In Theaters: Jun 1, 1995 Wide
On DVD: Nov 11, 2003
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
An enjoyable quirky-humored hit man flick.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Less quirky than earlier films, Amateur pushes its humor too hard and the conceit of amnesia is absurd, but there are poignant observations about purity versus experience and ignorance versus knowledge.
Jeremiah Kipp, ToxicUniverse.com
A deadpan examination of coincidence versus signs; tangibility versus faith.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
Comes across as an interesting study of the ways in which we are all amatuers at changing our lives.

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Featured Audience Ratings

moon r

Stylistic romantic/comedy/thriller that builds slowly as an amnesiac endeavors to discover his identity. Nice performances in sort of an Hitchcockian homage, particularly by one Damien Young.