Review of American Made (2017) by Drew F — 27 Sep 2017

Whether or not you choose to believe Tom Cruise is still an A-List star or not, people still flock out I droves when he makes a good film. While American Made isn't a film that's going to appeal to a mass audience, I believe that the addition of Cruise's charm will sell a few more tickets than if someone else had been cast in this role. This is a movie that unravels the harsh realities of a storyline that's definitely too good to be true, and it's based on a true story. You've definitely seen this style of filmmaking many times throughout the years, but director Doug Liman brings a fun, as well as visceral accompaniment to this crazy premise. I can't say that I loved it, but here is why it's still a great film that's worth seeing in theatres.

Not knowing the conclusion of the events that actually happened definitely helps when watching a film that's based on a true story, but I have to admit, this is a story that has enough twists and turns to keep you interested, even if you already know how the story ends. As Barry Seal leaves his day job as a pilot, he's recruited to work for the CIA, where he must deliver drugs and guns to cartels in the south. If that notion alone doesn't peak your interest, I'll just say that he's given opportunities that will have you either shaking your head and smiling about how things work out for him, or being scared and along for the ride due to his choices. There are surprises around every corner, which is why this movie works so well.

When being a smuggler, no matter how hard or often you must travel, a family life is always going to be a struggle when you're dealing with the drug cartel, there's no way around that. What worked out for this film was the fact that the cliches of kidnapping family members never happened throughout the true story, so you won't find yourself rolling your eyes, thinking the film is coming up with a way to manipulate the story. Sure, there are other surprises that I won't spoil for you, but if there's one thing I can compliment this film on, it's the fact that it's original. That being said, hardly any film is perfect, and where I feel American Made may annoy some people, is its happy-go-lucky feel throughout 80% of its duration.

I'm all for a film trying to have fun and lighten the mood, but when a film that should be taking itself seriously, fails to hardly ever do that, I found myself wondering if the consequences even mattered. Yes, Cruise delivers a noteworthy performance once again, and the secondary cast all play off him wonderfully, but I found myself wondering where the stakes were at times, due to the fact that Barry always seemed to make the best out of a bad situation. This isn't necessarily a flaw with the film itself, but it distracted me more than enough to slightly harm my experience with the movie as a whole.

In the end, there isn't much to complain about here if I'm being honest, but like I mentioned, it's filmmaking that you've seen many times before, with some questionable editing choices in its quick cuts or fast zoom-ins, and the fact that the tone is a little too happy for the story at hand. Still, the premise is interesting throughout, the surprises are worth the price of admission alone, and Doug Liman directs this film as well as any other that he's put his touch on in the past. American Made won't be winning any awards this year, but it's a really enjoyable time at the movies and I highly recommend checking it out.