Director: Doug Liman
Cast: Tom Cruise, Caleb Landry Jones, Domhnall Gleeson, Jesse Plemons, Sarah Wright, Jayma Mays
Rating: 15
Running Time: 115 mins 
Release Date: 25/08/2017

AMERICAN MADE is based on the true story of drug smuggler and CIA gun-runner Barry Seal. His character is played in the movie by Tom Cruise who looks extraordinarily different to the man in real life who is quite larger and rather stern looking. Cruise made no huge attempt to look like Seal in the movie, which seems to be the trend in Hollywood for actors to undergo major transformations.

American Made

Regardless of this, Cruise is exceptional within his role. AMERICAN MADE is an action comedy drama in which a commercial airline pilot (Cruise), who is persuaded to work for the CIA, becomes a drugs and arms smuggler operating between the USA and Central and South America in the 1980s.

Cruise is convincing in his role as he flies across different countries with his aviators on whilst wearing a pilot uniform at the start of the movie, very reminiscent of his TOP GUN days. He got into the world of lawlessness after becoming bored as a flight attendant in 1978. it was at this time he was brought into an entirely different, secretive world by a CIA handler called ‘Schafer’ (Domhnall Gleeson). 

American Made review

As exciting as this was for Seal, it wasn’t enough financially and the offer made by Colombia’s notorious Medellín cartel was too much for him to refuse. The former pilot suddenly began to use his CIA missions as an opportunity to load up his plane with hundreds of kilos of unsold cocaine, and dump the bags into swamps Stateside whilst tying to avoid the DEA.

Things become even more complicated for Seal: Schafer also requires him to deliver case-loads of requisitioned AK-47s to the CIA-backed militias fighting the Sandinistas in Nicaragua. It sounds more complicated than it is, but whilst watching the movie, you easily get the gist of what is happening. The most unfathomable thing from it all, is how this true story was allowed to happen to begin with. 

American Made

Eventually of course, his luck runs out and his schemes are soon found out, as he struggles to hide the huge amounts of money he has made over the years.

Director, Doug Liman, who directed Cruise in EDGE OF TOMORROW has done a fantastic job combining the thriller and comedy genres together for this one. The film is stylish in the way that is comes across to the audience as chatty and easy to follow. However, it feels as though Seal’s demise comes along too quickly and with the infamous Pablo Escobar one of the most famous drug cartel leaders in history, very little is mentioned of just how important this man is and the significant role he played with international drug smuggling.

Overall, Tom Cruise is definitely in cruise control for this movie. It is entertaining, funny and a brilliant joyride from start to finish. A must-see this summer. 

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