So That's How They Did It

Rating: 7/10 (26 August 2017)

I would probably describe this as being one of those true crime gangster movies, though I am not entirely sure of how accurate, or real, the story is. Sure, there was a guy named Barry Seal, but the suggestion at the end of the film was that the CIA did what it could to basically sweep this whole episode under the table and to pretend that it didn't happen. However, what is surprising is that even though this agent went off the rails, nothing really all that bad actually happened to him – well for the most part that is because he did eventually meet a rather grisly end.
So, the story is about a pilot named Barry Seal, who begins his misadventures smuggling Cuban cigars into American via Canada (actually he files them to Canada and his contact does the rest). While on layover in Canada he is met by a CIA operative who offers him a job – he gets his own plane as long as he flies some recon missions over South and Central America. Well, that works out reasonably well, and he even provides a delivery service for the agency – that is until he makes an acquaintance with a rather notorious guy in Columbia – Pablo Escobar.
Like a lot of these films, it is about the rise and fall of this particular guy, and how he eventually makes so much money he has no idea what to actually do with it, or even where to put it. The problem is that such large amounts of money tends to attract the wrong attention, and also has the habit to attracting freeloaders and blackmailers. On the other hand, such huge amounts of money also has the ability to buy friends, and to make others simply look the other way. Mind you, it was rather interesting to see so many banks arise in such a small town.
The other interesting thing about the film was that it looked behind the curtain of the whole Sandanista affair – the Sandanistas, who were Communists, took control of Nicuagrua, and as a result the American government did its best to try and covertly overthrow them. The thing was that it had to be covert because the government, and the people, weren't all that keen on a war. In fact, what is interesting is that the American people seem to have an aversion to war, and the government tries to do what it can to sway them otherwise.
I also thought it was rather cute to be introduced to a number of characters that were well known during the Eighties, and some not-so well known. One interesting character was the son of the then Vice-President, who isn't named but does make a couple of comments to drop some hints as to who he actually is. However, the one thing the film seems to be about are the excesses of the intelligence community, and the suggestion that they are more well connected to the shadows of organised crime than meets the eye. The other thing is how they simply seem to bumble around everywhere, and even though the operation turns out to be a complete failure, the operative still gets a promotion.
In the end it all comes down to plausible deniability, something that Reagan was an expert at (though we should also note that Oliver North was dumped right in the deep end). However, I'm not entirely sure how accurate the film is, and I suspect that there is probably a lot of speculation going on. However, it does raise the question of whether it is possible to simply having too much money, though in the case of ill gotten gains, then no doubt the answer is yes.