American Made

THIS film is based on the true story of daredevil pilot Barry Seal (Cruise, who looks nothing like the real-life character), who leaves his job as a commercial pilot for a more exciting life with the CIA.

The story begins in the late 1970s, and goes right on into the late 80s. It all starts when Seal, who is bored with his mundane life, is approached by a mysterious man called Schafer (Gleeson), who knows all about Seal helping to smuggle contraband for Cuban exiles in the US.

Schafer offers Seal a job flying a private plane for the CIA under the radar of South American countries with communist leanings, and taking aerial photographs of certain

Tom Cruise, Domhnall Gleeson, and Sarah Wright Director: Doug Liman E-Value: 7 Acting: 7 Plot: 7

‘sensitive’ sites.

Meanwhile, his wife Lucy (Wright) thinks her husband works for an airline.

Seal risks his life and even gets shot at for his efforts, but isn’t paid all that well by the CIA.

Now that he has children, Seal readily agrees to help smuggle drugs into the US for the Medellin cartel who pays him very handsomely.

However, Seal finds his problems only beginning, as both his employers start demanding more and more out of him. Things really begin to hit home when Lucy’s troublesome brother J.B. (Caleb Landry Jones) finds out what Seal does, and starts taking the hidden cash for himself.

The movie is more comical than dramatic, but to be fair, the crazy situations that Seal constantly keeps finding himself in are really over-thetop.

Look out for Jayma Mays (who was last seen as the meek germphobic guidance counsellor in Glee) playing an overzealous Attorney General who tries to prosecute Seal.

But she finds her efforts thwarted by politicians who are determined to cover up Seal’s governmentsanctioned activities.

All in, this is an interesting movie about one of the many disastrous US-backed involvements in foreign soil, and how ordinary people end up paying dearly for it.