The Infiltrator (2016)

A Great Cast does some Fine Acting that Drives this Fractured Movie. It is Split into a Schizophrenic Story that Struggles to Balance the Two Competing Milieus.The Emphasis Switches, not so Seamlessly, from Corrupt Shiny Bankers to Psychopathic Drug Cartels. There is Evil being done with Paperwork and Wetwork and as the Film Unfolds these Things Blur, Disorient, and make the Viewing Experience Less than the Entertainment is should be.However, taking Each Element on its own, both sides of the Issue, ("The Sting"), are Engrossing Enough to Withstand the Ping-Ponging of the Story-Line. It's Bryan Cranston's Picture Portraying "Real Life" Undercover Agent Robert Mazzulo and Cranston's Angst Anchors the Movie as the Deceits and Deceptions Determine the Outcome of each Phase of the Case.It's a Good Looking Film with a Soundtrack that doesn't quite Nail the Songs of the Era but it's Not Too Distracting, because the rest of the Production Design is Snappy with its 1980's Template.The Banker/Gangster Expositions Collide now and then with Tonal Shifts and are Awkward, but Overall the Movie is Worth a Watch for some Good Acting and a Supply of Suspense.

Review: The thing that made the Breaking Bad series so great, was the fact that Bryan Cranston was the most unlikely drug dealer you could ever find, which was why he wasn't the perfect choice for an undercover agent in this movie. He really seemed out of place throughout the whole film, and I was surprised that no one questioned who he was, and we're he came from. The fact that it was based on true events, makes me feel that the director missed out some key moments, because he seemed to join the cartel with ease, which made it feel unrealistic. Anyway, Bryan Cranston plays an undercover officer called Robert Mazur, who tries to takedown Pablo Escobar's operation, with fellow officers Emir Abreu (John Leguizamo) and Kathy Ertz (Diane Kruger), who plays his pretend wife. As they have failed to get to the heads of the cartel from a drug angle, they decide to try a money angle, which seems to make Robert move up the ladder much quicker. He soon becomes friends with one of the big bosses, Roberto Alcaino (Benjamin Bratt), and he gains the trust of some top banks, which makes his operation seem believable. Once they have enough information, the secret agents gather at Roberts fake wedding to Kathy, to takedown all of the culprits they have been investigating but after spending so long in the drug world, Robert can't help feeling bad, whilst watching the people he has come close to, get taken down with nowhere to run. It's quite an interesting story, which must have been pretty scary to be in but I personally think that the movie could have been more intense, especially as Robert was surrounded by so many murderers. When an agent is undercover, I don't expect them to go home to there family every night, and I thought it would have been easy to work out that they were using names of dead people. Anyway, it's a decent movie which is worth a watch but there are better films in this genre. Watchable!Round-Up: Judging by the money that this movie made at the box office, it's obvious that Bryan Cranston, 61, hasn't got a certified, bankable name as of yet, and with movies like Godzilla and Trumbo not going down to well with the critics, it's going to take a massive hit for him to come out of this bad run of movies. He's definitely a unique actor, which is good at his craft but it's his choice of projects, which has to be questioned. Anyway, this movie was directed by Brad Furman, who has brought you the movies, The Take, The Lincoln Lawyer and Runner Runner. I think that this movie lacked the attention to detail which it needed, like in Blow starring Johnny Depp but John Leguizamo was great because he brought some wit to a difficult situation. On the plus side, it did make me look into Robert Mazur's true story but apart from that, it will be quickly forgotten. Budget: $47.5million Worldwide Gross: $18.3millionI recommend this movie to people who are into their biography/crime/dramas, starring Bryan Cranston, Amy Ryan, John Leguizamo, Benjamin Bratt, Joseph Gilgun, Jason Isaacs and Diane Kruger. 5/10

Bryan Cranston is "The Infiltrator" and it's Pablo Escobar's drugs cartel that he's infiltrating. Brad Furman's thriller takes some time to build up a head of steam but once it does, about two-thirds of the way in, it's pretty exciting. Cranston obviously got the part on the coat-tails of "Breaking Bad" but he's miscast here, (even in "Breaking Bad" he was never that convincing playing the tough guy), and it's left to the likes of John Leguizamo as his tough-talking, streetwise partner and Yul Vazquez's flamboyant, bisexual villain to carry the picture.There's a lot of plot to get through and even more characters, most of them hiding behind beards and all of them nasty. Where the film scores is in showing just how dangerous undercover work can be and there's a nice touch of black humour in the climax. It's said to be based on a true story and they do say that truth is stranger than fiction but this does seem rather far-fetched. It's certainly watchable but with a stronger script it might even have been memorable.

Exceptional movie, which is based on true story, on drug war with Columbia. The story is complex, fast-moving, brutally authentic. It made me spent 3-4 more hours to watch documentaries on Pablo Escobar, just to understand more about the context. I watched this first, then the hyped Sicario (2015), just to realize that the later is totally crap, despite its awards and box-office gross.