‘American Made’ Review: Tom Cruise traffics charm, humor, and other things in this electric caper
With the quality of Tom Cruise’s films being a bit unpredictable as of late, it would be totally fair to be skittish about doling out the dough to watch Doug Liman’s American Made – especially after Cruise’s last film, The Mummy, took a beating at the box office and with the critics earlier this summer. But I’m happy to report that the unstoppable actor with the 1.21 gigawatt smile has not only returned to form, but also given us another long-overdue taste of his comedic chops as Barry Seal – the real life TWA pilot in the 1970’s that gets recruited by the CIA to spy on Communists in Central America (at least initially). And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Cruise infuses Seal with such a reckless charm that it’s a hoot to see his character up the stakes, even if we (and he) know that danger in many different forms is nipping at his heels. As the action escalates, Liman does a fantastic job of building the tension in this wild true story from Gary Spinelli’s tight, economical, and humorous script, making American Made a film that is definitely worth the cost of admission, and should shut down the Cruise haters once again. At least until his next movie comes out.
When we first meet Barry Seal, he’s a middle-aged TWA pilot who appears uninspired by the day-to-day machinations of the job, so much so that he takes to creating fake turbulence while at the wheel just to keep his flights interesting. He’s only running cigars at the moment (which will seem really quaint really fast), when he is approached by Monty Schafer (Ex Machina‘s Domhnall Gleeson) who asks him if he’d like to work for the CIA by flying and taking photos in Central America of Communist forces. Barry – who proclaims to us that he often “leaps before he looks” – gladly takes the gig, which promises to be a bit more exciting than landing in Vancouver yet again and giving the same stale smile and forced greeting to air travelers for the billionth time. However, he gets a bit more than what he bargained for when – on one of his missions – he’s intercepted by the Medellin cartel, who asks him to run cocaine for them on his route back to the states. Being a man hungry for adventure, as well as hungry for a significant fortune to support his growing family (and ego), Barry can’t resist saying yes.
That’s nowhere near where the story ends, but in order to ensure your enjoyment, my synopsis is just going to stop there.
The last time Doug Liman and Tom Cruise teamed-up, it was for the completely underrated Edge of Tomorrow, which also saw Tom Cruise slightly playing against type as a cowardly, reluctant hero who has to relive the same day over and over again and perfect the art of not being killed. Here, you could also argue that Cruise is playing against type since he’s not playing the straight hero; instead, he’s playing an unmotivated commercial airline pilot with just enough of a checkered past that makes the CIA think that he’d fit perfectly into their ranks doing reconnaissance missions in Central America. In both cases, Liman proves very adept at nudging Cruise out of his Ethan Hunt heroic seriousness, and into a role that allows Cruise’s sharp comic wit come to the surface. Barry is charming, slick, daring, and irreverent, yet prone enough to stupid decisions that he definitely doesn’t seem infallible, and Cruise delivers each one of these nuances with aplomb.
There isn’t a weak link in terms of the acting, but I will also say that since the film is laser-focused on Seal, that it’s difficult for any other players to truly stand out. Aside from the always-engaging Domhnall Gleeson, the other actor that gets the most screen time is Sarah Wright who plays Lucy Seal – Barry’s complicit wife who dutifully cares for their children and home, yet also dutifully bathes in the lavish lifestyle that comes upon them as a result of Barry’s illicit side-gigs. Jesse Plemmons (Breaking Bad, Friday Night Lights) and Lola Kirke (Gone Girl) are two recognizable faces that appear, but they’re conspicuously underused, which was slightly disappointing. Caleb Landry Jones follows-up his creeptastic role in Get Out with, well, another creeptastic role here, where he definitely stands out, if for no other reason than he’s got the slithery, bleery-eyed screw-up persona on lock down.
While I may speak high praise about this film, I’m also honest enough with myself to know that by the end of the year, I may forget that it happened. Despite the fact that I think most people will absolutely have a great time watching this film, I question how memorable it will be. After all, it’s treading somewhat familiar ground from a story standpoint; the thing that makes it stick in your memory a bit more is knowing that this is based on true events, and there are certainly some prominent historic political figures that make appearances at certain junctures. The fact that a lot of this actually happened is quite remarkable, and those that lived through the 1980’s and know what the Contras are will probably find that this film sticks in their memory more than others. But once again, if it is remembered, it will be because this is one of Cruise’s best performances of the last few years, and I only hope it inspires him to pick out similar projects moving forward.
In conclusion, American Made is a smart, groovy, funny film that pulses with energy and doesn’t waste a second, and is ultimately elevated to new heights (pun intended) by Cruise’s unpretentious, loose, and confident performance. It was so good, I want to do an unauthorized fly by in his honor.
And yes, that was totally a Top Gun reference.
