Directed by:
Doug LimanScreenplay:
Gary SpinelliCinematography:
César CharloneComposer:
Christophe BeckCast:
Tom Cruise, Domhnall Gleeson, Sarah Wright, Jesse Plemons, Caleb Landry Jones, Alejandro Edda, Jayma Mays, Connor Trinneer, E. Roger Mitchell, Sharon Conley (more)VOD (2)
Plots(1)
Tom Cruise as Barry Seal, an airline pilot who avoids jail time for smuggling by agreeing to work for the CIA, but soon finds himself mixed up with ruthless drug cartels and the Iran-Contra affair. (Home Box Office)
Videos (11)
Reviews (16)
American Made is a very straightforward crime comedy without any major stumbling blocks and it makes no effort to face us with any difficult moral dilemmas. It conspicuously imitates the style of Scorsese’s films (pop songs, a narrator intervening in the story and determining what we see and how we see it, attention-grabbing camerawork and editing) and cashes in on the popularity of the TV series Narcos, so it comes across as unoriginal and predictable, but thanks to the smooth (albeit slightly mechanical) narrative and Cruise’s charisma, it is entertaining from start to finish. The position of the main protagonist is unusual (for a Hollywood movie), as he lets himself be dragged along by circumstances and merely accepts outside offers and follows orders dictated to him through almost the entire film. He can demonstrate his ingenuity only in the way he carries out deliveries of certain goods, not in what he actually does. It would almost be possible to interpret him as the embodiment of American pragmatism, the ability to adapt to the given situation and make the most of it for himself, but we know too much about him (compared to the other characters, who are really only types) to perceive him in such an impersonal way, and relatively strong emphasis is placed on the family storyline (which, however, the film handles much more carelessly than The Wolf of Wall Street, for example – you will probably care as little about the protagonist’s wife and children as you did for Barry). Of the films that “comfort” us with the fact that people may be bad, but their governments are worse (War Dogs, American Hustle), this one gets bonus points in my eyes for taking the procedural side of things into greater consideration and for not pretending to be anything better. It’s simply light summer macho entertainment that does everything possible to keep the viewer from getting bored for even a second and, unlike Atomic Blonde and The Hitman’s Bodyguard, it does that very well. 70%
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Doug Liman is awesome and Tom Cruise rocks again. nice Barry Seal is a very story that is interesting and engaging enough to draw you in from the very beginning. The film benefits greatly from an interesting filter and at times I felt I was watching an episode of Narcos, which may well have been Doug Liman's inspiration. Working for the CIA and the narcos at the same time may be attractive, but it's a hard job that you can't escape or you'll die. The sex scene on the plane was awesome. A very entertaining film 80%
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A modern Scorsese who is as easy to look at as an overstuffed wallet, but at the same time embodies the fact that nobody can tell a story as coherently as the legendary Marty. Barry Seal wants to deliver a very complex and balanced story, but ends up offering terribly little room for the supporting characters and brings nothing new to the game apart from some flashy work with self-aware editing and music. I enjoyed Cruise, the pace and the positive feeling, even if it didn't always quite fit with the events described, but after a while what has stuck in my mind are hilarious bits, not a hilarious film. A respectable 70%, if only for Sarah Wright's undeniable potential for the less accessible roles whose ideas she cheekily encourages.
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It's a pity that Cruise's best role in recent years doesn't come in a slightly better (understand: better written, built and with a dramatic point) film. American Made flies too smoothly. Especially in the first half, one almost prays for artificial turbulence. But Spinelli's screenplay is a flat track composed of repetitive episodes carried by Tom's charisma and a ready-to-use 80s vibe. Although Liman tries to decently direct the film, he doesn't pull out any extra drive with his 80s magical processes. Fortunately, Cruise enjoys his everyday crook, who generally doesn't ask too many questions, so that the viewer can enjoy him as well. American Made is a solid, but too long episode of Narcos. The film owes almost everything to the Netflix series, but unfortunately also can't cover its limits when it is compared to it. A serious historical topic is thus dismissed by a few shortcuts and jokes, which we know almost literally from Narcos. But the series managed to unexpectedly make a mark. Barry tries to do it in the end, but rather harmlessly. Why ****? Because Tom. So the 4th piece from pure fandom.
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Clever and funny. This will stay around for a while. Cruise and Liman began to hit it off together on the Edge of Tomorrow and the chemistry continues in this free biography of smuggler, Barry Seal. Great comedy style, tongue-in-cheek to damning reminder of the insensitivity of the government. Perfect late 70s atmosphere, great music and two hours of good, honest fun.
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