American Made (2017)

Don't Believe the Hype

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

AMERICAN MADE is simply an outstanding, entertaining, fun action movie. It is something you don't expect biopics to be: funny. The film packs a solid punch with its top notch action sequences, cinematography and funny sequences apart from a tight screenplay, razor-sharp editing and a lot more that needs to be actually seen than read.Tom Cruise is very impressive in the portrayal of Barry Seal. He makes his presence felt throughout the film. The film is screenplay driven but still he carries it almost alone on his shoulders. Rest of the cast is also impressive. The film is shot very well; the technical aspects are top notch. The locales showcased are just a pure treat to watch. Background score is also immersive. Another major plus is the action. This film redefines the action genre by giving a lot of cool action blocks but without being violent. That's different given the theme of this film!While not very suspenseful or tension-filled, AMERICAN MADE is still a purely entertaining and memorable biographical action comedy which is a must see especially if looking for some realistic fun.

Ever wondered what it would be like to see Tom Cruise taking a break from his usual Sci-Fi & Impossible series "avatar". Well, here is your answer - It gets even more exciting and entertaining. This is Tom Cruise's real life take on the impossible series where Barry Seal replaces Ethan Hunt and CIA as the agency, which dictates the terms. It's just that Barry loves to go with the flow and without any intention of getting involved with anything that seems out of his league and this is something each one of us can relate to. He is your usual guy who happens to be a pilot and wants to make some extra cash with every extra mile. So what's wrong with it? Well nothing is wrong when you do it for the right guys, and nothing gets more exciting and dangerous when those right guys turn out to be CIA.What is even more amusing and entertaining to watch is the fact that despite having no choice left but to cooperate with CIA, "Barry Seal never says no" to any offer (even if it comes from any drug lord) that helps him maintain his cash flow that obviously was becoming unmanageable for him by every passing day. Although, I must admit that it was quite a fun to watch him trying to manage millions of cash that he had no idea how to spend. You will definitely enjoy watching Tom cruise as Barry Seal who uses CIA to get his end of the bargain (and they thought that they were the only smart guys who live in one of the greatest countries of the world).If you want to go on an adventure trip, go watch this movie and you will understand what Tom Cruise really means when he says, "I am just a gringo who always delivers".

Let me start out by acknowledging that "American Made" was not a true story. People, the Millenium Falcon never actually made the Kessel Run either. I'd rather they hadn't mucked the movie up with their anti-Reagan/anti-Oliver North trope, but it's Hollywood. What can you expect?Still, the movie was great. Cruise WAS that guy. He sweated when he should have sweated. He smiled that impish smile. He made the "how am I going to deal with all this cash" scenes seem believable. How could you not like that guy and sympathyze with his fate?In addition to Tom, the movie was beautifully cast. The CIA guy, though the character was not believable, was played to the hilt. Even the non-speaking 15 year-old girl who the exquisitely weaselly brother-in-law picked up was perfect. I can still see her posture.This film was was different from "Knight and Day," but every bit as entertaining. You should watch both of them (twice).

American Made bears some similarity to movies like Air America, Catch Me If You Can, and Goodfellas, and other fashionable caper movies. It is a perfect vehicle for Tom Cruise, on whose charisma, smile, and appealing cockiness the movie hinges because we don't get a lot of psychological insight into the character, or learn why he was so determined to make more money than he could spend. Cruise played pilot Bruce Seale to distancing effect. This was well advised because the real protagonist was involved in some egregious criminal activities and the supporting roles don't have much stake in the story. But, this is a movie, and audiences can suspend their judgement when they see government agencies controlling its citizens with ultimatums. All in all, this is a story about one man - a citizen - at the centre of one of the most controversial political scandal of the early 1980s. That is at least interesting.