The Infiltrator
Good Films
Written by: Ellen Sue Brown, Robert Mazur
Directed by: Brad Furman
Starring: Bryan Cranston, John Leguizamo, Diane Kruger
The Good:
The acting definitely stands out as one of the highlights of this film. Bryan Cranston was simply brilliant. His acting is definitely at an all-time high in The Infiltrator. You can tell because throughout the film, he’s able to convey his emotions in such a way that you have no choice but to connect with. I appreciated how he was able to show the real difficulty surrounding the life of an undercover agent. Rather than just showing the pretending and crime busting, they also showed how his life affects his family, and his own decision making. I should also mention that Cranston was able to build off of a very strong supporting cast as well.
A lot of characters were able to stand out on their own in a very unique way. John Leguizamo (played “Emir Abreu”) was great as well. His character fed into much of the suspicion in a film where you didn’t know who to trust. Benjamin Bratt (played “Roberto Alcaino”) and Diane Kruger (played “Kathy Ertz) gave noteworthy performances as well. They all shared such great on-screen chemistry together, that I almost feel bad for not being able to mention the other very unique characters.
The other highlight to this movie was the high level of suspense. There were so many scenes that were either jaw-dropping or just completely suspenseful. You almost have to sit on the edge of your seat when some situations in the movie take an ugly turn. What made it even more intense was that there were many twists and turns that were rather unpredictable. There’s a decent amount of action mixed with a good dose of intrigue that will keep you interested from beginning to end. After watching this film, I’m not sure why anyone in their right mind would ever want to work undercover for any reason.
The Bad:
My only real issue with the movie is that it felt kind of long. It is about two hours long, and there are plenty of scenes that will keep you engaged. However, it probably could’ve been a little shorter to help the film go by faster.
The Reason:
Overall, I really enjoyed The Infiltrator. If you’re a fan of the movie Sicario or the Netflix series Narcos (both highly recommended), then this movie is right up your alley. The story of Pablo Escobar never gets old, in my opinion, and this movie doesn’t sell it short at all. I’d highly recommend checking it out whenever and however you can.
