The Movie Diorama
This film details the true story of drug trafficking and laundering illegal money. Agent Robert Mazur invented a persona with a rich and lavish lifestyle in order to infiltrate Pablo Escobar's trafficking scene which was becoming apparent in 1986. Going deeper and deeper undercover in order to build a case that leads to indictments of more than 100 drug lords. Fascinating, ever so fascinating. What was really profound was the slow build up of trust and admiration between Mazur's cover up character and the drug lords of Colombia. The film portrayed them as normal people, genuine human beings with families. Sure what they were doing was completely illegal and something you shouldn't attempt at home...that something being an illegal drug trafficking scheme, but seeing that trust break at the end was actually melancholic. Captivating dual performances from both Cranston and Leguizamo, I thought they suited their roles incredibly well. Casting the beauty that is Diane Kruger is always great and I thought Benjamin Bratt's performance was noteworthy. The directing style was, on the whole, good. Nothing outstanding but towards the end wedding scene there were some nice long shots which I admired. There are a lot of characters in this story consisting of agents, family members, drug lords and corrupt bankers. It takes quite some time to establish them and get the story flowing, in fact I found the first half to be rather underwhelming. Nothing really engaged me. It's quite a meaty runtime (127 minutes) and honestly this could've been cut substantially. The second half was much better which included more tension and character investment. I also found that scenes just seemed to have been cut, one point we're in a hotel then all of sudden we're in France. Seemed to have been strung together to try and create flow but if anything it just hindered the narrative. However, some great performances and some interesting characters make for a good true story albeit unmemorable.
Michael Ledo
This is based on a true story and book of Robert Mazur (Bryan Cranston) working as a DEA undercover agent out of Tampa. Mazur gets the idea to "follow the money" instead of the drugs. The film is nearly 2 hours of him meeting and chatting with bankers and various members of the Medellin Cartel in project C-Chase which also tied into CIA operations and the BCCI, a later scandal that was so complex, even when broken down and explained, Congress couldn't understand it.The film is a real life crime drama. It has some action just when things are starting to creep. Some killing, some blood, some close calls. No one jumping from roof top to roof top. No car chase scenes, one car crash scene. No one fighting with a bullet in them. Action is bland when compared to modern super cop films.Guide: F-word. Brief sex. No nudity.
seducamedusa
Don't misunderstand me, it's a solidly acted, directed and produced dramatisation of the events of the time as predictable as it all was. As I said, it's been done before and done better. There's many tales of this type and this is not the worst but is far from the best. And I think that the combined acting chops of Brian Cranston, Diane Kruger, Juliet Aubrey and the irrepressible - John Leguizamo - are what brings this up past a 4-5/10. There were errors in the general styling of the characters, such as the colours and stylings of the nail polishes, the hair styles and even the shoes that Kruger's character wore at the faux wedding. Yeah, perhaps they're small quibbles. The soundtrack didn't save it and yet, I had high hopes when hearing a few riffs of 'Kiss Off' by 'The Violent Femmes' at the beginning. Time appropriate sure, although probably too alternative when trying to tie music to a scene. Remember, we're predominantly in Miami so the soundtrack should've reflected the cocaine fueled nightclub scenes, the general mid 80s vibe of Madonna, Wham!, Phil Collins, etc.,. Horrible yes, but appropriate, nevertheless. I guess the point I'm trying to make is that if you're into Cranston, by all means, watch it. If you want a nothing movie to kill 120 minutes of your life, then sure, it's like an extended episode of any cop show but oddly, not Miami Vice. Actually, if you want something worth watching in a similar vein then try 'Donnie Brasco' for a "buddy was an undercover agent" story. In 'The Infiltrator', no one seems all that bothered by anything or anyone. Yeah, they say they are and all that but it's all a bit contrived. Predictable, but by the end, I was kind-of hoping that everyone died.
Asif Khan (asifahsankhan)
Once Breaking Bad was over, Bryan Cranston became a somewhat unlikely Hollywood leading man scoring an instant Best Actor nomination for the biopic drama Trumbo.He's returning to his secretive crime sweet-spot with The Infiltrator but instead of playing the crook, he takes on the role as an undercover cop looking to break into a massive drug cartel that stretches all the way to Pablo Escobar and take it down from the inside.There's no denying that the 1980s-set story of Bob Mazur is a riveting one and, given its basis in truth, one that should be told. It should end up as some sort of Scarface/Donnie Brasco hybrid but when all is said and done, The Infiltrator lacks the power of either.When Mazur gets close to Escobar's top lieutenant Roberto Alcaino (an excellent Benjamin Bratt), the emotions should've been running high and the scene set for a Greek tragedy but director Brad Furman's story is too on the level to resonate deeply.Put simply, The Infiltrator lacks emotion. It tells the story of an undercover agent who goes undercover and does his job quite well. It sidesteps true conflict and thus fails to stay memorable outside of the odd nicely photographed scene. Cranston gives it his all, further establishing his reputation as a dependable leading man. It's a shame that the rest of the film fails to match his ambition.
AD
