American Made

A worse feature episode of Narcos, made in a relaxed but inconsistently executed style of The Wolf of Wall Street or the Lord of War. So, it never finds its own path and so it crouches in the shadow of the above. What would help is a better-built storyline, some emotions and a better executed shift to more serious department at the end, but purely as 80s stylized relaxed biographical nonsense, it's not really bad at all and it's definitely fun. Take my word for it. Especially thanks to Cruise, who is a great fit to this comic conceived role of a passive macho dude. Partly because he doesn't try to stylize himself into the real Barry Seal and he just plays himself. (24/08/2017)

American Made is a funny, fast-paced and, thanks mainly to the excellent Tom Cruise, a really cool chill-out movie that does not try to be dramatic. Which surprises me, because had its satire been a little more piercing, it could have reached the heights of Martin Scorsese. (31/08/2017)

After The Mummy, Tom Cruise apparently relaxed and enjoyed this 1980s summer romp perhaps even more than many viewers. It’s hard to deny that the premise is uninteresting, but the execution and especially the pacing are a challenge. It's a movie about a huckster pilot that basically flies on autopilot the whole time and everything is clearly lined up (and repetitive). There is no moment of surprise, no vivacity and no drive, you can anticipate the screenwriter's intentions three moves ahead. You still may get a taste of this summer ride, but it's not the experience of the year. The attempt to align itself with Scorsese's legends with its razor-sharp jokes and sarcastic undertones is there, but unfortunately often off-target. (01/09/2017)

A modern Scorsese who is as easy to look at as an overstuffed wallet, but at the same time embodies the fact that nobody can tell a story as coherently as the legendary Marty. Barry Seal wants to deliver a very complex and balanced story, but ends up offering terribly little room for the supporting characters and brings nothing new to the game apart from some flashy work with self-aware editing and music. I enjoyed Cruise, the pace and the positive feeling, even if it didn't always quite fit with the events described, but after a while what has stuck in my mind are hilarious bits, not a hilarious film. A respectable 70%, if only for Sarah Wright's undeniable potential for the less accessible roles whose ideas she cheekily encourages. (04/12/2017)

A very likeable film from start to finish. You can cheer for the main hero, although he's not fully a good guy, it's thrilling and funny and it has a pleasant retro look and sound. I often thought of Gold with Mathew McConaughey, which, of course, had something extra and I liked even more, but I rarely thought of the much worse The Wolf of Wall Street. Tom Cruise shows us why he still belongs amongst the most sympathetic and best actors. (06/09/2017)