I feel like I was justified in being skeptical of “American Made.” It is about gun running, drug smuggling, the Reagan presidency, and Central American communism. To top it all off, it stars Tom Cruise, which is a casting choice that promises real character depth and development the same way EMU promotes conservative values.
When dealing with historically sensitive issues like these, there are generally two ways directors can go. They can go full docu-drama, which makes for interesting material for history professors and those of us who stay up late watching “Planet Earth” and the like, but these films generally do not do well at the box office. Alternatively, they can go the parody route, which, if done right, can be absolutely fantastic.
As you might imagine if you have seen the trailers, “American Made” leans closer to the parody side of the spectrum. It is not a full-on parody — it is loosely based on the true story of Barry Seal, though the film’s writer took large liberties with the story. However, the parodical elements are ever-present and really well done. The whole movie has a light-hearted tone that makes every situation Seal and his buddies get into comical when most of the plot points in the film would almost certainly not be funny in a different context.
“American Made” starts out quickly, smashing through a couple years of exposition in the first fifteen minutes. This montage-esque opening sets the tone for the entire film, jump-cutting between taking photos of Sandinistas for the CIA and Seal’s home life, while interjecting bits of Seal’s meetings with Colonel Manuel Noriega and Pablo Escobar.
If you are unsure why these bits would be funny, do some Googling. You will get it.
The cinematographic style of the film is fairly interesting, too, as it moves back and forth between common cinematography — what you would normally see in films — and camera work that feels more like found-footage or pointof- view. It is interesting and adds quite a bit of depth to the film, though much of what we know about the real Barry Seal’s story actually comes from court cases and journalistic exposes.
There is not much truth to “American Made.” “You know, we’re not making a biopic,” said the film’s director Doug Liman in an interview with “Vulture” magazine. And they most certainly did not. Just from doing some reading, I would say that about 15 percent of what happened in the film is true. Even at that low number, it still makes for an insane story. In another interview with “Time” magazine, Liman said that the film is “a fun lie based on a true story.”
I was initially skeptical, but “American Made” ended up being one of my favorite movies so far this year. It is fun, light-hearted, and it has some good callbacks to “Top Gun,” showing off Tom Cruise flying planes while wearing aviators. If you are looking for a truthful story about the Iran-Contra affair, this is not the film you are looking for. But if you want to laugh, go see “American Made.” It is worth it.
