Amsterdam Review: 5 Ups & 5 Downs

4. The Sharp Cinematography & Production Design

It also shouldn't surprise anyone that Amsterdam is quite the handsome piece of work, given that it was lensed by legendary, three-time Oscar-winning cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki (Gravity, Birdman, The Revenant).

Even though Lubezki's fine compositions are constantly battling the hack-and-slash editing, his famed use of wide angle lenses serves him well here, often lending the film a heightened, hyperreal look that befits its stranger-than-fiction story.

A lot of the credit also has to go to the first-rate production design, which likely accounts for much of that $80 million budget. The below-the-line crew in general have done a fantastic job of evoking the 1930s, from street facias to cars, building interiors, and costumes.

In the very least, then, it's a pretty piece of work to look at.