Amsterdam: David O. Russell’s film, which tells the story of three friends that bump into what may be a political conspiracy, mixes farce with speechifying to an off-putting degree. Its heart is in the right place, as the story has undertones that resonate very well in the present day, alas; the film, however, is too rich for its own good: there are too many characters, too many stars, and too much preciousness. Its oddity comes, at least partially, from its visual language: cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki shot the film with plenty of wide-eye lensing, and the actors often look almost straight at the camera. Production values are very good, with excellent make-up work in particular, but also J.R. Hawbaker and Albert Wolsky’s costume design and Judy Becker’s production design. It is a large and capable cast, and they all seem to be having lots of fun with their roles: Margot Robbie, Christian Bale, and John David Washington, the three protagonists, are all a riot.