Film Review: American Made (2017)

Although this is now increasingly hard to imagine, not so long ago Hollywood’s pseudo-liberal bien-pensants viewed the CIA and its agents not as noble defenders of Western civilisation whose every leaked statement must be treated as holy scripture, nor did its actions at spreading democracy worldwide enjoy unquestionable support even when it involved partnering with shadowy figures involved in terrorism or siphoning drugs onto the streets of Western cities. One filmmaker who clearly hasn’t absorbed Hollywood’s recent party line is Doug Liman, who has dabbled in CIA-related themes earlier in his career, most notably with The Bourne Identity. His 2017 film American Made tackles one of the most controversial episodes in the history of that intelligence organisation: namely, how its campaign against pro-Soviet leftists in Central America during the 1980s coincided with an epidemic of cheap cocaine and the resulting explosion of violence in American cities, laying the groundwork for numerous conspiracy theories.

Gary Spinelli’s screenplay is based on true events, with protagonist Barry Seal – portrayed by Tom Cruise – thrust into the scandal through a series of circumstances. The film opens in 1978, as America grapples with a deep economic crisis that even hit the aviation industry, prompting Seal, a TWA Airlines pilot, to seek additional income for his wife Lucy (Sarah Wright) and growing family. His solution is low-risk smuggling of cigars to embargo-stricken communist Cuba, but this catches the attention of a shadowy CIA agent named Schafer (Dominic West), who recruits Seal for discreet surveillance of leftist guerrillas in Central America. Seal agrees, and when circumstances lead him to Colombia, he allies with figures from the Medellín Cartel, agreeing to transport their cargo to the American market. His activities grow increasingly tangled when the CIA, spurred by the rise of pro-Soviet Sandinistas in Nicaragua, decides to utilise Seal’s skills for a “discreet” military aid programme for anti-Communist Contras seeking to overthrow the regime. For Seal, the job becomes murkier as the CIA not only turns a blind eye to his narcotics trafficking but also funds the construction of an airstrip in rural Arkansas and the purchase of a small aircraft fleet to smuggle tonnes of cocaine into the heart of America unchecked. His life becomes precarious when the sheer volume of money he’s making becomes too large to hide from local and parts of federal authorities, eventually triggering an investigation that could cost him everything – especially given both sides’ inclination to sweep the matter under the rug.

Liman deserves credit for tackling this grim subject – one Oliver Stone might have exploited for a furious polemic – with the audacity to frame it through dark comedy. The protagonist, who also serves as narrator, provides viewers (particularly those born long after the 1980s) with economic and political context while peppering the narrative with ironic commentary. This style may remind some of Scorsese’s Goodfellas, but Liman attempts a more original approach by structuring Seal’s flashbacks around testimony he records by filming himself. This technique, however, recalls the irritatingly kitschy mockumentary style and feels out of place compared to classical narrative techniques. Cruise is effortlessly brilliant in the role, even when playing a slick antihero whose main traits beyond piloting skill and a lack of scruples make him indistinguishable from the average Joe chasing the American Dream. The script is largely to blame here; while Gary Spinelli occasionally displays creativity – such as linking the Contras’ activities to today’s debates on illegal immigration – it lacks subtlety in presenting the film’s central thesis. This is most evident in how historical figures like Pablo Escobar and George W. Bush are shoehorned into the story. They appear less as characters and more as cheap icons, much like Sarah Wright’s wife, who mostly serves as eye candy. The real standout is Brendan Gleeson as the seasoned intelligence operative embodying the worst of America’s Deep State – a force wielding terrifying power yet populated by equally terrifyingly scrupulous and incompetent individuals. While American Made might seem like a glorification of Cold War-era politics, its theme is, unfortunately, far more relevant to today’s world.

RATING: 6/10 (++)

(Note: The text in the original Croatian version is available here.)

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