Movie Review - The Infiltrator

The Infiltrator ***½ (out of 5) (R) Bryan Cranston stars as an undercover US Customs agent, trying to break up, or at least dent, the rampant drug trade of the 1980s in this fact-based drama. I vaguely remember the story from back then, but this presentation of what went into it serves up all the suspense and emotional depth one would expect from such a film. While not as glitzy or edgy as comparable period piece American Hustle, this one feels more realistic without losing its punch.

The script, based on the book by Cranston’s character, Robert Mazur, covers all the bases from the political climate of “Just say no”, to the complicated local and global economics at all levels, to the CIA’s covert role in Colombian smuggling and profiteering, to the blurring of emotional lines that can result from throwing oneself completely into character for survival among such vicious criminals, always aware that one slip can blow one’s cover with far-reaching and devastating consequences. Even worse, it’s extremely difficult to know who has your back, or has a knife ready for it, with crooks turning informant, cops on the take, and other hidden agendas below many surfaces. Sometimes the bad guys are actually likable people, making it hard to keep the line clear between person and persona.

Cranston superbly underplays the role, conveying the wits, vigilance, suspicion and full emotional range with family, colleagues and targets. Even knowing the history didn’t detract from the intensity of the production. Cranston’s come a long way from his first fame as the mostly-overwhelmed sitcom dad on Malcolm in the Middle, earning a slew of awards and nominations as chemistry teacher - turned meth maker Walter White in Breaking Bad; then an Oscar nomination for the title role in the biopic Trumbo; and currently as LBJ in an HBO movie, likely to earn more honors. It’s intriguing to see Mr. White working the other side of the drug trade in this venture.

(Slight spoiler alert) Although recent events make it seem fictional, since major international bankers wind up prosecuted and convicted for wrongdoing - something all too rare in recent years - this did actually occur in the late 1980s, making the film educational, entertaining and somewhat cathartic, which is a hard combination to find. (7/13/16)