‘Amsterdam’ offers plenty of star power but uses a flawed satirical playbook

“Amsterdam” certainly doesn’t suffer from a lack of ambition, and the star-studded cast merely adds to that sense of grandeur.

Russell’s resume, which includes “American Hustle” and “Silver Linings Playbook,” explains the gaudy lineup of talent at his disposal, among them Taylor Swift in what amounts to a cameo.

b11

If the singer is committed to pursue acting she certainly keeps surrounding herself with the best, and this time she didn’t have to wear a cat suit.

Burt (Christian Bale), a part-Jewish Park Avenue doctor whose in-laws disapprove of him, and Harold (John David Washington) bonded while serving together during World War I, where they met up with a free-spirited nurse.

a

Recovering from their war injuries, they took refuge in Amsterdam, a place where the world’s concerns – including those involving race – appeared to shrink away.

More than a decade later, Valerie is out of the picture when Burt and Harold are tasked by a mysterious woman (Swift) with investigating the murder of her father, a general under whom they served during the war.