Tom Cruise regains form in 18+ movies

In "American Style", the 55-year-old actor plays a character who caused a stir when he transported illegal substances into the US for many years.

American Made is a biographical film about the controversial figure Barry Seal (played by Tom Cruise). The story begins in 1978, when Seal - now a civilian pilot - is noticed by a CIA officer named Schafer (Domhnall Gleeson) because of his flying skills. Schafer asks him to smuggle US government weapons to Nicaragua to support the rebel group there.

Upon arrival, Seal found the U.S.-backed forces lacking fighting spirit. Sensing an opportunity, he took drugs from Colombian gangs and smuggled them back into the U.S. Using maps provided by the CIA, Seal learned routes that could avoid the guards.

After a few years, the smuggling operation reached its peak, making the pilot so rich that he didn't even have enough room to hide the cash. US authorities began to suspect him. Subsequent developments placed Barry Seal in a larger conspiracy, involving Ronald Reagan - the current President at the time.

* Tom Cruise plays a drug dealer

Director Doug Liman succeeds in his intention to create a political satire.The astute viewer can see this from the title of the film, “American Made.” Barry Seal was a product of Reagan’s interventionist policies, and then a victim of them. The bags of drugs smuggled into the United States were the result of this superpower trying to sow instability in other countries.

Throughout the film, Barry Seal constantly exploits loopholes in the US government for his own gain. With his recklessness, the pilot wins big and creates a huge empire.At this point, the character is a metaphor for American materialism with its life as a prince and the belief that everything can be settled with money.Even when Seal was handcuffed, his confidence did not waver. "I could give each of you a Cadillac, and I'll be out of here in a few minutes," he joked to the law enforcement officers.

Barry Seal is surrounded by rebels.

The filmmakers used handheld cameras and grainy effects on the images to give the film a documentary-like feel. The shakiness of the camera became more pronounced whenever Barry Seal was in danger, as seen in the scene where he encountered the rebels or when he was being chased by a plane. This technique increased the tension, making the audience feel like they were with the character.

The pseudo-documentary style suits the film's narrative style - interweaving fact and fiction. In many scenes, the character Barry Seal narrates his life in a humorous tone, explaining politics from his perspective. Through many humorous details, the film depicts America's disastrous failure in expanding its power, which then led to shocking scandals being exposed on the international stage.

Arthur L. Liman - the director's father - was the main lawyer in the case and helped him have the material to recreate this period.In addition to President Reagan, the script also cleverly incorporates many real-life characters such as Bill Clinton, George Bush, and drug lord Pablo Escobar, making it interesting for viewers.

Tom Cruise flies the plane himself.

Tom Cruise appears in nearly every scene and is the soul of American Made.After being criticized inJack Reacher: Never Go Back(2016) andThe Mummy(2017), the 55-year-old actor regains his form with an angular character model,full of schemes and deception.

When not forced into a rigid hero image, Tom Cruise acts comfortably as if he's teasing.The character laughs in the face of danger, is reckless in the face of authority, and maintains his cunning to the end of the journey.In addition to his psychological acting, Tom also performed some familiar stunts. The scene where he directly piloted the plane taking off was reminiscent of Top Gun (1986) - the work that made his name.

The film's minus point is its disappointing ending. After the climax of Barry Seal's fate, the film ends quickly, leaving several political threads unfinished. Apart from Barry Seal, the surrounding characters are vague, making the film less diverse in human fate than American Hustle - a work with the same theme - or Martin Scorsese's masterpiece biopics.

According to VNE