American Made (2017)

“American Made” stars Tom Cruise, Sarah Wright, Domhnall Gleeson, and Jayma Mays.  Released on September 29, 2017, the film is about a former TWA pilot who is recruited by the CIA to counter a communist threat in Central America.

The film is directed by Doug Liman, who also directed films such as The Bourne Identity and Edge of Tomorrow.  You guys didn’t think I was going to forget about this after seeing the other new releases, did you?  Director Doug Liman has been known for directing some action thrillers that tend to exhilarate plenty of moviegoers, but his latest film is going in a much different direction.  This is Liman’s second collaboration with Tom Cruise with the first being Edge of Tomorrow, which I liked.  Plus, I was really impressed with his last film, The Wall, which came out earlier this year, so I was expecting some good things from Liman’s latest outing.  

The film is based on a true story that follows former TWA pilot, Barry Seal (Cruise), who becomes a drug smuggler for the Medellín Cartel while working for the CIA, the DEA, and later on, the White House.  The main story is just a series of events that focuses on Seal and his “job” leading up to his demise.  There’s nothing too special about the story as a whole and, surprisingly, it wasn’t as thrilling as The Wall, but I found it to be a sweet ride.  Tom Cruise was one of the few things that I enjoyed the most.  His magnetic performance offers enough likability and energy to bring his character to life.  It definitely looks like that he was having fun portraying Seal as well as narrating the events that were shown on screen.  Even though it didn’t have the right amount of thrills, Doug Liman was able to keep the film going in terms of its pacing, the comedy, and its sharp editing.  If you’re hoping that this film will be like The Bourne Identity, you’re not going to get any of that, but I think you’re going to have fun with it, regardless.  I would also give credit to the cinematography and the film’s color textures for bringing the 70s and 80s settings to life, especially Central America.  The film’s running time is close to two hours, which isn’t that much of an issue, but there were a couple of moments where it overstayed its welcome just a little bit.

Overall, “American Made” doesn’t offer a lot to exceed my expectations based on my experiences with some of Liman’s other films, but Tom Cruise’s performance and its cinematography are enough to keep it soaring.  It’s not the best film I’ve seen, but it’s the type of film that I would like to watch again in the future.  If you like Tom Cruise and Liman’s filmography, it’s worth checking out. ​

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