I was a little worried about this movie for two reasons because it looked overly familiar with the movie, Blow, that I admired more than I completely liked. Even though Johnny Depp's performance was one of his best, I felt that the movie's subject was handled a little badly in the middle that it kind of lost its way in the second half as it crosses into emotional territory with his daughter. However, the similarity between that movie and American Made is that it deals with the Medellin cartel in the 1980s which involved Pablo Escobar as the authorities were investigating the people laundering money and drugs. After watching this movie, I did not learn much about exploring the issues surrounding the drug shipments, but it was because the movie had a breezy and twisted approach to the American Dream that was quite entertaining and enjoyable. And, because I liked its energetic approach, it is a huge thanks to the combination of director Doug Liman and Tom Cruise.
The movie gets started in 1978 as Barry Seal (Tom Cruise), a bored TWA pilot, is offered a job by Monty Schaefer (Domnhall Gleeson) to make more money by taking reconnaissance missions for the CIA with cameras south of the border. Barry questions whether this is legal but Schaefer assures him even though he is going to be working for the CIA, Barry cannot talk to anybody in his family circle, including his wife, Lucy (Sarah Wright). At his new job, Barry makes tapes of him documenting his travels and exploits flying over countries like Guatemala and Honduras. Schaefer is impressed by Barry's efforts.
So, Barry is assigned a new task to become the bagman between the CIA and General Noriega (Alberto Ospino) in Panama. After he gets the trust from the Medellin Cartel by getting their drugs into the United States, the DEA raids one of their compounds and Barry is arrested. Schaefer urges Barry that his house will likely get raided and Lucy will be brought in for questioning. After Barry gets out, he quickly goes home to tell Lucy that they and the kids need to move. Lucy asks why and Barry does not reply, getting Lucy starting to distrust her husband.
The Seals move to Mena in Arkansas as Barry is now given assignment to move guns for the Contras. He is allowed to own his airport and planes for the job. He is doing favors for both the Contras and a cartel leader without being detected by the law. Barry is indulging in the lavish lifestyle and providing more for his family while setting up fronts to hide the money. However, trouble ensues when JB (Caleb Landry Jones) is involved and the law starts to threaten him.
The pace of this movie is relentlessly quick and breezy that you sometimes want the movie to slow down a little bit but you cannot because the twisted comedy and energy would deflate and the movie would not be as interesting. Even though it definitely does not reach the peaks of Martin Scorsese's energetic movies like Goodfellas, Casino or The Wolf of Wall Street, it is a lighter version of Goodfellas and I believe that this movie receives of highest compliment of having a taste of that mob masterpiece. But, also, the movie does not hamper with the serious issues like it is a history lesson because the movie would quickly become a typical docudrama lost in the shuffle of crime dramas. It is substituted as a dark comedy as there are funny moments intertwined with political insight and drug shipping activities.
I think this is one of Tom Cruise's best performances in a long time because he does not insert most of his typical Cruise factors, even though there are some, into his character. What is so sensational about his performance is that his character has no experience or no idea of what he is doing except that he is enjoying the riches and also getting out of his routine. But, there is tension along the way as his character is being investigated by both the authorities and the cartels. Domnhall Gleeson delivers another solid performance in his repertoire of solid performances as his banter with Cruise is quite funny but also informative as the movie progresses. Also, Sarah Wright gives a nice performance as his wife.
Doug Liman, the director, did a good job just letting the movie eases its path of being more light-hearted and energetic into a serious event in our lifetime but it also focuses on another person's American Dream. Seal's American Dream is not parallel to characters like Tony Montana's or Henry Hill's like he is directly involved with crime because again, he does not know what he is doing. He is an experienced pilot with inexperienced assignments. Even though I wanted more insight into the troubling issues in America at that time and its familiar style, Liman's movie firmly transports us into the late 1970s and early 1980s with its music and subjects with edginess and humorous & dark suspense that it makes this an enjoyable ride. Hey, this could have easily been Maverick's life after Top Gun. Think about it.
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