America Made Me Do It

Rating: 3/10 (24 January 2020)

From start to finish, director Doug Liman sends us back to the 80's to vicariously live through the high risk high reward lifestyle of Barry Seal in the film American Made. At first, the idea of a cocaine-smuggling pilot who is also employed by the CIA may sound like fiction, but the undeniable Tom Cruise is in the cockpit flying like his life depends on it.
While working as a TWA pilot, Barry Seal (Tom Cruise) is approached by Montey Schafer (Domhnall Gleeson) who works for the CIA and he is looking to recruit a pilot to capture intel on the communists in Central/South America. Not soon after Seal begins working with the CIA, the now infamous Medellin cartel notices Seals frequent visits and the potential to get their new product (cocaine) to the mainland. Soon after, Barry forms strong ties with Pablo Escobar and the Medellin cartel which means lots of cash flow. Meanwhile, the CIA tasks Barry with flying guns to Nicaragua to arm the Contras which leads to flying the Contras back to be trained for battle in a boot camp set up on Barry's land in Mena Arkansas. Barry begins to make so much money from his drug smuggling operation that he doesn't have enough ground to bury it in. This allows his operation to expand by recruiting a team of elite pilots that work for him in his drug smuggling business.
Tom Cruise is not an unfamiliar face in the cockpit of an airplane, as he has appeared in the infamous Top Gun films. But, director Doug Liman seems to cast Cruise for his on screen charisma and his "catch me if you can" attitude. Because of Cruises approach to the film, the audience is always vouching for the "ring that always deliverers". Combined with the fact that the narration of the film is by Tom Cruise, which occasionally is from the perspective of Barry Seal recording himself on a camcorder reflecting on his journey, is another reason why American Made succeeds in captivating its audience. This style of narration is used as transition cuts as well as foreshadowing in the film. Despite the fact that it's an extremely engaging film, it has to move at a fast pace to be able to captivate the story of Barry Seal in a film setting. This can lead to feeling like you missed something in the plot or just purely that the film jumps around so frequently. It is also prevalent that Seal is a family man and will do whatever it takes to provide for his wife Lucy Seal (Sarah Weight), and their children, which also makes Barry a well-rounded likable character. Doug Liman has directed other action films such as The Bourne Identity films and Edge of Tomorrow which capitalizes on a Sci-fi twist to the action genre that so many adore. The screenwriter Gary Spinelli is able to immediately capture the audience's attention by making it known that this film is based on a true story. As the film progresses further, having the knowledge that these events have truly occurred made me want to continue watching just to see what unfathomable situation Tom Cruise will get himself into next.
It's hard to resist pointing out that Tom Cruise is a big reason why the film is so enjoyable. Whether he is saving the world in the action loaded Mission: Impossible films or traveling cross-country in the drama Rain Man, it is evident that Tom Cruise fully commits to the characters he plays. The photography in American Made such as the warm colored composition when Barry is flying also helps the film convey what the emotional charge of the scene is. This movie was often filmed with a zoom lens, generally on Barry Seal, which enhanced the realistic feeling meant to be portrayed to the audience. Doug Liman was also successful in creating a setting that was essential for that authentic 80's feel to the movie by recreating the style of the architecture and costumes in Arkansas as well as in Southern America. The decision to use real clips of President Regan also provided authenticity because it was able to directly relate to the current situation at that time in the film.
Overall, American Made will keep you on the edge of your seat in disbelief just waiting to see how Barry Seal is able to fly around the never ending dilemmas with seemingly unfavorable odds. Tom Cruise is in his optimal film environment that reinforces the suspense in this "based on a true story" film. The portrayal of Barry Seal, his lavish lifestyle, and his personality, is sure to make the audience and to get on a plane and fly back to the 80's.