6.9/10
5,195
36 user 35 critic

Amateur (1994)

R | | Comedy, Crime, Drama | 19 May 1995 (USA)
Amateur Poster
Trailer
1:56 | Trailer

Watch Now

From $3.99 on Prime Video

ON DISC
Isabelle is an ex-nun waiting for her special mission from God. In the meantime, she is making a living writing pornography. She meets Thomas, a sweet, confused amnesiac who cannot remember... See full summary »

Director:

Hal Hartley

Writer:

Hal Hartley

Stars:

Isabelle Huppert, Martin Donovan, Elina Löwensohn | See full cast & crew »
53
Reviews
1 win & 2 nominations. See more awards »

Videos

See all 1 video  »

Photos

See all 36 photos »
Learn more

More Like This 













◄ Prev 6 Next 6 ►

Next »
Simple Men (1992)
Crime | Drama | Romance
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.2/10 X  

Bitter about being double-crossed by the women he loved, (and with the police after him to boot), Bill vows to seduce the next woman he sees, then throw her away. His brother Dennis, ... See full summary »

Director: Hal Hartley
Stars: Robert John Burke, Bill Sage, Martin Donovan
Next »
Surviving Desire (1992)
Comedy | Drama | Romance
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.4/10 X  

Jude, a college literature professor, falls for one of his students. She is more interested in the empirical experience of a relationship with a man whose life is ruled by the themes of the... See full summary »

Director: Hal Hartley
Stars: Martin Donovan, Matt Malloy, Rebecca Nelson
Next »
Trust (1990)
Comedy | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.4/10 X  

After being thrown out of her house, Maria encounters a married woman who complains of not having children. Maria ends up in an abandoned house, where she meets Matthew. When a baby is kidnapped Maria sets out to find the woman.

Director: Hal Hartley
Stars: Adrienne Shelly, Martin Donovan, Rebecca Nelson
Next »
The Unbelievable Truth (1989)
Comedy | Drama | Romance
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.3/10 X  

A man returns to his home town after serving a prison sentence for homicide, and finds that the details of the crime have been forgotten and replaced with local legends and rumors.

Director: Hal Hartley
Stars: Adrienne Shelly, Robert John Burke, Chris Cooke
Next »
Henry Fool (1997)
Comedy | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.3/10 X  

Socially inept garbage man Simon is befriended by Henry Fool, a witty roguish, but talentless novelist. Henry opens a magical world of literature to Simon who turns his hand to writing the ... See full summary »

Director: Hal Hartley
Stars: Thomas Jay Ryan, James Urbaniak, Parker Posey
Next »
Flirt (1995)
Drama | Romance
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.3/10 X  

The same situation is played out in different cities (New York, Berlin and Tokyo). A lover has to choose whether to commit to a partner who is returning home. In each case there are other ... See full summary »

Director: Hal Hartley
Stars: Paul Austin, Robert John Burke, Martin Donovan
Next »
Fay Grim (2006)
Action | Comedy | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.2/10 X  

A ten-years-later continuation of Hal Hartley's "Henry Fool", where Fay Grim (Posey) is coerced by a CIA agent (Goldblum) to try and locate notebooks that belonged to her fugitive ex-husband (Ryan). Published in them is information that could compromises the security of the U.S., causing Fay to first head to Paris to fetch them ...

Director: Hal Hartley
Stars: Parker Posey, Jeff Goldblum, Liam Aiken
Next »
The Book of Life (1998)
Comedy | Fantasy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.5/10 X  

The end of the millenium has taken on a certain significance in modern day prophecies. What happens if Jesus Christ has second thoughts about the Apocalypse? It is December 31, 1999 and New... See full summary »

Director: Hal Hartley
Stars: Martin Donovan, PJ Harvey, Dave Simonds
Next »
The Girl from Monday (2005)
Action | Comedy | Sci-Fi
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.2/10 X  

A comic drama about a time in the near future when citizens are happy to be property traded on the stock exchange.

Director: Hal Hartley
Stars: Bill Sage, Sabrina Lloyd, Tatiana Abracos
Next »
Meanwhile III (2011)
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.7/10 X  

The funny and moving tale of Joe Fulton who can fix anything for anybody but he can't achieve success himself. But maybe today will be different!

Director: Hal Hartley
Stars: D.J. Mendel, Danielle Meyer, Pallavi Sastry
Next »
No Such Thing (2001)
Comedy | Drama | Fantasy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.1/10 X  

The story of a young journalist who journeys to Iceland to find her missing fiancée only to encounter a mythical creature. She eventually forges a relationship with the being.

Director: Hal Hartley
Stars: Sarah Polley, Robert John Burke, Margrét Ákadóttir
Next »
Ned Rifle (2014)
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.2/10 X  

Henry and Fay's son Ned sets out to find and kill his father for destroying his mother's life. But his aims are frustrated by the troublesome Susan, whose connection to Henry predates even his arrival in the lives of the Rifle family.

Director: Hal Hartley
Stars: Aubrey Plaza, Parker Posey, Martin Donovan
Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Isabelle Huppert ... Isabelle
Martin Donovan ... Thomas Ludens
Elina Löwensohn ... Sofia Ludens
Damian Young ... Edward, Jaque's Accountant
Chuck Montgomery ... Jan, Jaque's Goon
Dave Simonds ... Kurt, Jaque's Goon
Pamela Stewart ... Officer Patsy Melville
Erica Gimpel ... Irate Woman
Jan Leslie Harding Jan Leslie Harding ... Waitress
Terry Alexander ... Frank, the Cook
Holt McCallany ... Usher
Hugh Palmer Hugh Palmer ... Warren
Michael Imperioli ... Doorman at Club
Angel Caban Angel Caban ... Detective
Emmanuel Xuereb ... Bartender
See full cast »
Edit

Storyline

Isabelle is an ex-nun waiting for her special mission from God. In the meantime, she is making a living writing pornography. She meets Thomas, a sweet, confused amnesiac who cannot remember that he used to be a vicious pornographer, responsible for turning his young wife, Sofia, into the world's most notorious porn queen. Sofia's on the run, convinced she's killed him. Together, Isabelle and Thomas set out to discover his past, a past waiting to catch up with him. Written by L.H. Wong <as9401k56@ntuvax.ntu.ac.sg>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

pornographer | new york city | nun | amnesia | pantyhose | See All (17) »

Taglines:

Accountancy, Murder, Amnesia, Torture, Ecstasy, Understanding, Redemption

Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and language | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
Edit

Details

Official Sites:

Sony

Country:

USA | UK | France

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 May 1995 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Amador See more »

Filming Locations:

19th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA See more »
Edit

Box Office

Budget:

$2,300,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$757,088

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$757,088
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

American Playhouse, Channel Four Films, La Sept Cinéma See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby | Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1
See full technical specs »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

Isabelle Huppert got the lead role by writing to the director and begging for a part in his next film. See more »

Goofs

Towards the end when Edward shoots Jan multiple times, after Jan finally collapses and dies he is obviously still breathing as the scene ends. See more »

Quotes

Thomas: How can you be a nymphomaniac and never had sex?
Isabelle: I'm choosy.
See more »

Connections

Referenced in In a Savage Land: Cast and Crew Interviews (2001) See more »

Soundtracks

Then Comes Dudley
Written by The Jesus Lizard
Performed by The Jesus Lizard
Courtesy of Touch and Go Records
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Reviews

 
Likably offbeat fare.
7 October 2003 | by gridoon – See all my reviews

Hal Hartley's "Amateur" is an engagingly offbeat take on the "crime thriller" genre. It is also perhaps the most quietly thoughtful handling of amnesia (not as a plot trick, but as a subject) you're ever likely to see. But be warned: Hartley's refreshingly non-mainstream, detached, minimalist style takes quite some getting used to, and the ending is needlessly downbeat. (**1/2)
11 of 13 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
Review this title | See all 36 user reviews »
Getting Started | Contributor Zone »

Contribute to This Page

Free Movies and TV Shows You Can Watch Now

On IMDb TV, you can catch Hollywood hits and popular TV series at no cost. Select any poster below to play the movie, totally free!

Dune
La La Land
The Karate Kid
Marie Antoinette
The Pursuit of Happyness...

Browse free movies and TV series

Stream Trending TV Series With Prime Video

Explore popular and recently added TV series available to stream now with Prime Video.

Start your free trial


Clear your history

Recently Viewed