 |
| photo courtesy of hubpages.com |
SPOILER-FREE REVIEW
Tom Cruise’s latest movie is American Made, based on the real-life
story of pilot Barry Seal. Seal ran drugs and arms between the CIA, the
Contras, and Colombian drug cartel during the 70s and 80s—with the U.S. government’s
hush-hush backing. With solid performances and stylish storytelling, American Made has all the right
ingredients for a good time.
Cruise gives off an undeniable charisma
in the lead role, redeeming himself somewhat for his involvement in The Mummy previously this year. In his
hands, Seal displays both unsinkable confidence and creeping shades of
desperation. Other notable cast members include Sarah Wright as Lucy Seal and
Domhnall Gleeson as CIA agent Schafer.
 |
| photo courtesy of digitalspy.com |
Story-wise, the movie moves at
breakneck speed, pushing through close scrape after close scrape with hardly enough
time to let Seal (and the audience) recover. The quick pace might make the
whole thing feel a bit too plot-centric, but it also gives the movie a
carefree, reckless attitude that’s undeniably fun to witness. It’s also
interesting to watch Seal give up more and more of his moral compass in
exchange for the thrills—and ridiculous wealth—that the job provides. His life
story (which undoubtedly gets tailored around the edges for its big-screen
adaptation) is just crazy enough to keep audiences engaged.
Doug Liman, who previously directed The Bourne Identity back in 2002, brings
some unexpected flair to the proceedings. In keeping with its 70’s setting, American Made includes plenty of
colorful titles, dramatic zooms, and even a brief cartoon interlude. The
stylistic edge helps give the movie a light touch (important, considering that
the subject material might just as equally produce a much heavier movie), even
if it isn’t executed consistently.
Watch the trailer here.
 |
| photo courtesy of thetimes.co.uk |
No comments:
Post a Comment