Amateur

Amateur is a film by independent filmmaker Hal Hartley (Simple Men, Trust). It debuted in May 1994 at the Cannes Film Festival and was hailed by one critic who called it “as close to perfect as any film you’ll see this year.” Comic, clever and suspenseful, the plot involves the exploitation of pornography, conspiracy and an adult film star. The story is about a man with amnesia (Martin Donovan), who while wandering the streets of Manhattan falls unconscious and is helped by a strange former nun (Isabella Huppert) who writes pornographic short stories. Together they try to discover his identity. When they uncover his checkered past, they are pursued by mysterious corporate killers and an angry porno actress (Elina Lowensohn). Though the characters deal with lies, sex and exploitation, they remain amateurs in affairs of the heart.