Review: American Made

I will cut to the chase with American Made, the new film from Doug Liman (Live, Die, Repeat) and starring Tom Cruise. The film produced an overwhelming reaction of "meh" from me. It is not that the film is bad but it has so little new to offer and can't help but live in the shadow of many films and television shows about similar stories.

It doesn't help that the film is also rather shallow, full of surface pleasures and little that complicates or renews the rise and fall storyline of drug and arms trafficker Barry Seal. Keep in mind, the film is first and foremost a star vehicle and its aim is to help Cruise recover from the disastrous The Mummy. Thus, perhaps it should not be surprising that the film feels safe. This is a real shame because somewhere in this story is a darkly comic flip to his character in Top Gun. 

For the most part Cruise captivates and proves why he is the movie star he is. He plays Seal as a guy who keeps falling into crazy scenarios and getting out based on charm and a little bit of smarts. Seal is a TSA pilot who was recruited in the 80s by the CIA. In the film, Domhnall Gleeson plays the recruiter and point man for Seal.

In his time with the CIA, Seal picked up intel from Manuel Noriega, delivered weapons to the contras in Nicaragua and smuggled cocaine for Pablo Escobar and his cartel. Escobar later put out a contract on Seals life which ended their relationship and Seal's life in 1986. American Made hits similar points of history as Narcos, Blow and Carlos. In style and tone, it borrows heavily from Goodfellas in both its use of narration and its mixture of violence and humor. The narration is introduced clumsily in the form of video diaries that Seal makes. The humor mostly works and provides the film its best moments.

As the film skips around its story with little time for any of the weight of Seal's actions to set in, it also becomes increasingly clear that American Made has little on its mind. It aims to tell a preposterous story and it does that but nothing in it felt very fresh.  I do think the film will find favor with many audiences, especially those not familiar with these types of films and stories. I was largely bored expect for a few hearty chuckles. Cruise has gotten back on track here but that's about it.

2/5