What once was ‘extreme’ may now only be average. Looking back, films like “Animal House” seem tame compared to “The Hangover.” Despite the fact that stories like “American Made” have been told before, the filmmakers seem confident that their story is unique. Mainly because it’s true.
For the most part, that outrageousness plays in the film’s favor. So many scenes unfold with a tense feeling of how-the-hell-could-this-get-any-worse that it keeps attention on the characters and their actions. It helps to provide for a thrilling filmgoing experience.
Tom Cruise absolutely nails the slimy brilliance of a character like Barry Seal. His performance is mesmerizing, and is a large reason why the film works as well as it does.
There’s something captivating about this person; no prior illegal activity, no activity in the military, or with the government of any kind. He doesn’t have a reason to do this, other than greed. Then, suddenly he’s gunrunning to Nicaragua and sending cocaine back on the sly. It makes for a truly fascinating character to follow.
Gary Spinelli’s script is biting and very funny, mostly. Half of the scenes play out extremely intensely, leading to a sense of dread around every corner. This dread is countered by Seal’s winning grin, leading to an interesting filmgoing experience where audiences never truly know what to expect.
The supporting cast pulls their own weight around Cruise, but the only actor who comes close to him is Sarah Wright as Barry’s wife, Lucy. She has this kind of rawness to her that captivates Barry and the audience. Even the smallest supporting cast feel important, due to the excellent script and musical score playing beneath the scenes.
However, where director Doug Liman hits a speed bump is in the fact that while the film’s events are outrageous, they always seem to be played up ten times more outrageous than they actually are. It isn’t a huge issue, as it doesn’t prevent the film and it’s plot from losing audience interest, but it is worth mentioning.
Also worth mentioning is the film’s pacing, which manages to do almost a nose dive during the second act. Again, it isn’t that these events aren’t interesting or important to the plot. They just take too long. This poorly paced second act makes the less than two-hour long film feel much longer than it is.
“American Made” is an above average extreme true-story. It’s pacing problems are ironed out thanks to Cruise’s performance and the sharp writing. The excellent music and supporting cast are icing on the cake for this film that flies high, and mostly sticks the landing. 4/5