American Made (2017)

With the guns and drugs, there’s an attempt to make the story edgy. With the 80’s film styles and sets and cars and music, there’s an attempt to make this movie cool and retro and stylish. With the archival interviews and fun edits, there’s an attempt to make the storytelling fun and cool. With an excessively bouncy handheld camera, there’s an attempt to make each scene more interesting than it really is. But there’s something missing here.

This is a guy who’s involved in a crazy scheme, but even if it’s mostly true, there’s no reason to really care. Seal’s not a very redeeming character, and his character has little emotional depth. Doesn’t help that Cruise and Gleeson’s performances are a little too straight and sterile. Gleeson in particular is unbearably stiff.

Reminiscent of Blow, a much better movie.