American Made
2017 · Directed by Doug Liman
Original language: English
- comedy
- crime
- drama
The story
The true story of pilot Barry Seal, who transported contraband for the CIA and the Medellin cartel in the 1980s.
What it’s like
Sun-bleached 1980s Americana with a restless, hand-held energy: warm, saturated daylight over Arkansas suburbs and Central American airstrips, dusty tropical greens, and the glow of cheap motel lamps and cockpit instruments at night. Doug Liman's camera moves constantly, swinging through aerial shots of tiny planes over jungle and tight, jittery close-ups in kitchens and hotel rooms, while the editing snaps along with a brisk, jaunty rhythm. The score leans on period pop and a bouncy, playful pulse that makes even tense moments feel like a caper. Its vibe is breezy and cheeky with a streak of unease underneath, the kind of movie that suits a lazy weekend afternoon or a loose, sociable night in. Violence is present but not graphic: brief scuffles, a few shootings and crashes, with menace more often conveyed through threat than gore; there is strong profanity, drug use, and some sexual content. Sensitive viewers will find the crime world more bemused than brutal. A lively, morally slippery portrait of a charming man who keeps stumbling into bigger trouble, made for viewers who enjoy comic momentum, period texture, and a true-crime story told with a wink.
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