MPAA Rating: R/ Genre: Biographical Crime Drama Thriller/Stars: Bryan Cranston, Juliet Aubrey, Diane Kruger, John Leguizamo, Benjamin Bratt, Amy Ryan, Jason Isaacs, Joe Gilgun, Daniel Mays, Yul Vazquez, Simón Andreu, Rubén Ochandiano, Olympia Dukakis, Saïd Taghmaoui, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Elena Anaya, Dinita Gohil, Carsten Hayes, Juan Cely, Andy Beckwith, Michael Paré, Mark Holden/Runtime: 127 minutes
I think it’s safe to say that among the various subgenres of movie magic that exist in the world around us perhaps one of the more iconic has without question got to be the “undercover law enforcement officer” subgenre. Indeed be it handled in a comical manner such as with the 21 Jump Street movies from 2012 and 2014 respectively, with seriousness such as with 2006’s The Departed and 2006’s Miami Vice, goofily yet endearing all the same as seen in 1991’s Point Break, and even in a more underrated fashion like with the late yet great William Friedkin’s 1980 slice of cinema Cruising among others there is no denying that movies about law enforcement going undercover to bust some bad guy butt has long been an idea that has engaged and kept audience members coming back for generations. With that in mind however, there is a distinct difference between most of the entries on that previously mentioned list and the slice of cinema I am reviewing for you today, 2016’s The Infiltrator. That being that whilst the majority of them, 1997’s Donnie Brasco being the exception, do deal with law enforcement going undercover they also manage to utilize fictional narratives into their distinct blend. A component that I can safely say is not the case with this slice of cinema; rather, this one is based on a real guy and his real-life exploits operating undercover as a fictional money launderer trying to bust both the cartels and the seemingly otherwise on the up and up banks who launder their finances for them. Yet because it is an adaptation of a true story let alone events that actually happened, it is sad to point out that this slice of cinema might be a tad bit more on the predictable side than movie goers might like. However, just because that is definitely true, that also by no means takes away how enjoyable this slice of cinema is. To be sure, it might be a bit on the predictable side and yes there are a few other issues sprinkled here and there, but overall I really did dig the heck out of this movie dear reader. Indeed, the work done behind the camera is more than capable and the work in front of the camera by an undeniably talented collection of performances is nothing short of electric. Thus you might be able to figure out where this slice of cinema is going, but at the end of the day The Infiltrator is still one engaging and riveting cinematic outing that you are sure to enjoy time and time again.
The plot is as follows: Taking us all the way back to Tampa, Florida in the year 1985, and based on a true story at that, The Infiltrator gets its riveting crime saga underway by introducing us to a slick, smooth-talking, and impressive moustache rockin’ guy by the name of Robert Mangione as he makes his way into a bowling alley and begins flirting with one of the servers. Yet this man is by no means here for the good and cheap beer nor is he here for the weekly league night. Rather, this guy, as we soon learn through an interaction with an associate, is involved in that iconic business known as the drug trade….or so we think. I say that because, shortly after their meeting gets underway, we see that the pair are forced to flee the alley and are swiftly busted outside where it is revealed, to us at the very least, that the man we thought we knew as Mangione is really a U.S. Customs agent named Robert “Bob” Mazur. Thus, in the aftermath of this particular operation, we see Mazur come to realize that perhaps the war on drugs is going about its mission the wrong way since even if Customs was actually able to get their hands on the giant shipments of coke and other narcotics coming into the United States all that would wind up happening is they would just be replaced by the cartels in no time at all and business for them would be able to continue as planned much to the detriment of the law and the health/safety of the public. Instead, according to Mazur, perhaps what Customs ought to be doing, and that would be infinitely smarter, is to go after the money involved since that could shine a light on everyone from the mules who smuggle the drugs all the way to the kingpins at the head of the drug snake so to speak and everyone in between. As a result, we see that Mazur decides to come up with an operation where he poses as a wheeling and dealing and flamboyant business tycoon named Bob Musella who promises the cartels that he can launder their piles of moolah via placing it in a collection of legit places that government agents wouldn’t think to look. As a result, we see that what Bob is aiming for is to establish and subsequently expose the immense network comprised of both the members of the cartels and the seemingly on the up and up financial establishments that are in actuality just as dirty as the cartels and then go for all of them in one clean swoop. Yet as Bob, with the aid of both wild card yet well-connected and versed in Cartel 101 Customs agent Emir Abreu and new Customs agent Kathy Ertz, makes his way through this world it isn’t long before he not only finds this world might be bigger than he could have imagined, but that if he wants to keep his family safe he might have to play a part that is more dangerous and potentially more deadly than he has ever had to play before….
Now right off, it is worth noting that the work done behind the camera on this cinematic outing most assuredly proves itself more than capable in making this film as engaging as it ultimately is. Indeed this starts with the work done by Brad Furman at the helm and, much like how he was able to gift audiences with a riveting and taut courtroom thriller adaptation of Michael Connelly’s The Lincoln Lawyer, here we see that he is able to give us an equally as solid crime saga that, in no small part due to the fact that this IS set in Florida in the 80s, definitely feels like an episode of Miami Vice that we could have gotten back in the day. We also see that, through a terrific creative partnership with his screenwriter/(I kid you not here) real-life mother, Furman is able to conjure up for us more than a few ominous moments that not only conjure up a genuinely tangible suspense and unease in equal measure including not only one where Bob has to quickly go back into his cover identity whilst celebrating his anniversary to his real-wife and which culminates with Bob putting their waiter through easily one of the service industry’s worst nightmares, but also one where the cartel actually puts Bob’s trustworthiness through a test involving, of all people, a witch doctor. Indeed not only will all of these moments leave you on the edge of your seat, but they will also leave you feeling like you are about to have a full-blown panic attack like some of the characters, especially Bob, do at certain points in the film. We also see that Furman does a phenomenal job at not depending wholeheartedly on giving us as many swift cuts or highly-charged gun battles as he possibly can. Rather, we see that he instead permits the story to unfurl for us whilst every so often giving a visceral moment, but only if it makes sense within the grander narrative. Having said that however, there is perhaps one distinct element to the script that does give me a bit of pause. That being that whilst this film’s script is incredibly well-written, I do find myself wishing the film was given more runtime to really expand on this story since I have no doubt that there was quite a bit left on the cutting room floor due to time constraints. Now besides the really good work done by Furman at the helm and Mother Furman on the script, we see that this slice of cinema is also the blessed recipient of really good work from the cinematography department. Indeed not only does their camerawork present itself as an equal mix of both perspiring and, at moments, granulated thus really calling to mind when and where the film is set, but we also see that it never really does take any moments to show off. A feat that I feel is true of the work done on both sides of the camera incidentally. Suffice it to say that when you also manage to incorporate terrific efforts from the costuming (I do dig them 80s styles man!), the set design team, and the musical accompaniment which manages to be a brilliant mix of a taut score and a collection of 80s hits that are sure to have fans of the decade, myself included, smiling from ear to ear it’s clear that the story might be rushed at points, but the work done behind the camera is more than capable all the same.
Of course, there is also no denying that the other element that works immensely in this slice of cinema’s favor would have to come in the form of the collection of performances given by the immensely talented cast of players in front of the camera. This starts with the work done by Bryan Cranston in the lead role and honestly he is nothing short of terrific from beginning to end here. Indeed one of the key things that has always made Cranston a phenomenal talent is that whilst he does a great job at giving us turbulent characters, he also displays an immense degree of decency as well. Put another way: imagine if Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver had the folksy charm of someone like James Stewart. When it comes to this slice of cinema however, the wonderfully ironic thing is that the aforementioned folksy charm which helps make the character of Bob Mazur so effective at what he does. Sure, the fashionable suits, the shark-type smile, and the certainly go a long way, but ultimately what makes his character so convincing is the manner in which he is able to get on the same page with those who he needs to acquire the trust of in order to do his job right and that, as we see, definitely takes him quite aways in this. With that in mind however, there is also no denying that there are moments in this where Cranston also has to tap into his inner Heisenberg aka Walter White into order to keep one step ahead of the people he is going after. Perhaps the key one that comes to mind is a previously mentioned scene where Bob has to resort to some extreme measures whilst out celebrating his anniversary with his real wife and gets recognized among others. To be sure, the aforementioned moment does warrant a bit of a chuckle mixed in with the shock, but it also does a terrific job at highlighting just how genuine the stakes are for him should his cover be exposed and the, often extreme, measures he has to go to in order to make sure it doesn’t happen. Suffice it to say that it’s a fantastic turn from one of the more underrated actors in the land of movie magic of the past 3 decades. Alongside the terrific performance given here by Cranston, we also get treated to a wonderful turn from John Leguizamo as one of his fellow agents on the case. Indeed I must admit that I have always enjoyed Leguizamo as a talent and here he does a terrific job at playing a guy who might seem like he is as scruffy, let alone scummy, as the cartel members that he and Cranston are chasing, but as the film goes on shows that ultimately when it comes down to it he will have your back no matter what. Finally, I would be very much amiss if I didn’t take some time to praise the co-starring effort given here by the always enjoyable Benjamin Bratt in the role of Roberto Alcaino. To be sure, it does take a fair bit of the movie before he shows up, but once he does Bratt manages bring such a suaveness and command to the role that not only do you look forward to every minute of screentime he is given, but you can instantly buy that this guy is definitely the 2nd in command to the infamous Pablo Escobar. Suffice it to say that when you also incorporate into the mix top-tier supporting efforts from such incredible talents as Diane Kruger, Jason Isaacs, Joe Gilgun, Amy Ryan, Yul Vazquez, Saïd Taghmaoui, Juliet Aubrey, and the always delightful Olympia Dukakis among others it’s clear that this slice of cinema might have its flaws here and there, but the work done by this cast definitely does its part in helping to make up for those.
All in all and at the end of the day, is The Infiltrator the best cinematic true crime saga since GoodFellas or Donnie Brasco (among many other noteworthy examples)? Sadly for this slice of cinema that is most assuredly not the case though not for lack of effort. Having said that however, does that make this the worst entertainment venture since Bryan Cranston appeared as a homeless man in an episode of Diagnosis: Murder, John Leguizamo was in Ice Age 3-5, or worst of all when Benjamin Bratt co-starred in Miss Congeniality? Thankfully that is definitely not the case even if I happen to be joking to some degree about the last one on that list. To be sure, this slice of cinema is by no means perfect. Indeed not only is it fairly predictable, but the story itself does seem like it was impacted to a degree by the fact that the studio wanted this to run under 2 hours, including credits. As a result, there are moments where the narrative does wind up being a bit on the disjointed side at best and rushed at worst. With that in mind though, the rest of the work done behind the camera does a fantastic job at both making you feel like you are back in the time and place where these events took place, but also in leaving you on the edge of your seat (or as much as possible given the aforementioned predictability factor). Alongside that, there is also no denying that the work done by the immensely talented cast of performers in front of the camera help to bring the various players in this to life no matter what side of the law they fall on or how big or small their overall screentime in the grand scheme of things may be. Suffice it to say then that The Infiltrator might not be the best of the best in its respective subgenre of movie magic, but there is no denying that there is still a significant amount of enjoy here as well. Make of that what thou will dear reader. On a scale of 1-5 I give The Infiltrator “2016” a solid 3.5 out of 5.
