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American Made

Universal Pictures

Cross Creek Pictures

Imagine Entertainment

Vendian Entertainment

Quadrant Pictures

Hercules Film Fund

United States of America

Luxembourg

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English

Tom Cruise

Domhnall Gleeson

Sarah Wright

Jesse Plemons

Caleb Landry Jones

Lola Kirke

Jayma Mays

Alejandro Edda

Benito Martinez

E. Roger Mitchell

Jed Rees

Fredy Yate

Mauricio Mejía

Robert Farrior

Morgan Hinkleman

Alberto Ospino

Felipe Bernedette

Daniel Lugo

Jayson Warner Smith

William Mark McCullough

April Billingsley

Lauren Boyd

Lauren Revard

Marcus Hester

Mike Pniewski

Frank Licari

Alex Collins

Scott Poythress

Connor Trinneer

Alpha Trivette

Kevin L. Johnson

DeVere Jehl

Emilio Sierra

Leon Lamar

Tony Guerrero

Maria Howell

Darla Delgado

Justice Leak

Robert Pralgo

Mickey Sumner

Daniel Thomas May

Chloe Swan Sparwath

Alex Quarles

Trip McCarthy

Zachary Powell

Daniel Diaz

Byron Wigfall

Matt Mercurio

Carlos Lopez Jr.

Jairo Ordóñez

Jeff Olsen

Stephen Conroy

Juan Esteban Ramírez Toro

Lara Grice

Sharon Conley

Chris Gann

Johnny Otto

Kayla Perkins

Michael Mercaldi

Dan Southworth

Bill Billions

Ronald Reagan

Muhammad Ali

Nancy Reagan

Doug Liman

Gary Spinelli

César Charlone

Amy Lynn Tuttle

Joey Box

Douglas Womack

Wendy Talley

Tony Murima

Kelley Burney

Jim Garland

Aimee Campolucci

Julian Grijalba

Brian Grazer

Mindy Marin

Bridget Shields

C. Ashley Sudge

Tommy Donald

Dan Weil

Kym Barrett

Thom Heyer

Kelly Clear

Jerry Chief Parker

Tyler Childs

David James

Elizabeth Cummings

Abby Walton

Camila Olarte

Olivia Vestina Torres

Patricia Arango

Annette Kudrak

Alexyz Danine Kemp

Tyler Thompson

Julianne Jordan

Ray Angelic

Kris Peck

Tom Kramer

Mercedes Cook

Pam Aaron

Kevin Gazdik

María Fernanda Muñoz

Todd Kasow

Natasha Romanow

Michael Duarte

James Selph

Justin O'Neal Miller

Alanna Smith

Gabe Hilfer

Chelsea Staebell

Libby Culligan

Tom Schmitz

Christina Eunji Kim

Fran Beaudry

Brian Oliver

Hayden Bilson

Jody Blose

Christopher TJ McGuire

Adam Meadows

Doug Davison

Kim Roth

Frédéric North

Ianthe Jeanne Dugan

Dylan Goss

Christine Oeurn

Eliza Morse

Philip Stockton

Rachel Nowik

Jenny Gering

Alan D. Purwin

Sara Woomer

Matt Mayer

Grant Lynch

Bob Chefalas

Olga Turrini Bernardoni

Laura Dandridge

Teresa Morgan 

Scott Riopelle

Marko Costanzo

Steven Visscher

Anthony Brooks

Chris Hamilton

Thomas Kittle

Branka Mrkic

Jaime Fok

Eric J. Robertson

Sarah Monzani

Justin Rogers-CdeBaca

Michael Tanton

Leigh Ann Yandle

David Fletcher

Anthony Ortiz

Tif Luckenbill

Alice Moore

David K. Nami

Tom Fleischman

Jennifer Ramos

Kevin Scott

Bryan T. Evans

Jae Won D. Lee

Craig Calvert

Marie Larkin

_American Made_ is a peculiar film, but a very enjoyable one. It takes a playful, satirical look at the origins of the notorious 'Iran-Contra' affair, through the eyes of pilot Barry Seal. Along the ways we get thrills, laughs, astonishing (true-life) twists and turns and some vivid characters.

Even if you followed the public Iran-Contra scandal, you may be unfamiliar with the story of Seal, who started running guns for the CIA years before the familiar public scandal erupted. American Made is a fast, breezy, amoral look at the ins and outs of a covert operation made to go wrong. There's no judgment here; in fact, we come to like Seal's crazy make-it-up-as-you-go-along approach to flying, to crime and to life in general.

Tom Cruise is perfectly cast as the cocky, reckless pilot. I've done a fair bit of flying, and I've met one or two hot-shots like (in a lesser degree) the one Cruise portrays. Cruise has lately been playing parts that are much too young for him (e.g. _Jack Reacher: Never Go Back_), but his age works well in this case. In a way, Seal is a guy fighting to stay young.

If there's one there's one thing to regret about _American Made_ it's that it carefully avoids most of the political backdrop. We're told that the Sandinistas were evil Russian-backed Communists, which is undoubtedly what the CIA would have said at the time. (Hindsight is more ambiguous.) We're shown, just barely, how the Reagan administration evolved a cockeyed criminal scheme for its own ends, but the film ends where the public Iran-Contra scandal began. Ollie North is a presence in only one or two shots.

Nonetheless, Barry Seal's personal story arc is wrapped up perfectly. The ending doesn't let anyone off the hook, but it does leave us questioning our own moral position, as we're inevitably drawn to like and admire Barry Seal, in spite of his total lack of scruples or judgment.

Doug Liman directs with his usual flair. He's had a remarkably varied career, ranging from spy-action (_Bourne Identity_) to superheroes (_Jumper_) to political drama (_Fair Game_) to straight-up sci-fi (_Edge of Tomorrow_). _American Made_ stands up very well in that catalog. It's a fun film, a thoughtful film, an unusual film... though its darker side may not appeal to every taste.

It's always kind of fun seeing Tom Cruise in a role where he has to actually act and not just do the action phone-in-emotion thing...because he is capable of being a decent actor and not just a pretty-boy action star.

And, in this he was a decent actor.

And the result is a very enjoyable and fun period piece that has just as much drama as it does action and comedy, which allows the time dedication to slip buy unnoticed.

It's actually pretty rare that you can watch a film this long and not really feel like you're watching a long film.

The only real downside is that the end hits you a bit abruptly, a bit too abruptly for the build up...but who cares when the build-up is this enjoyable.

Barry’s Wild Suburban Landing

Tom Cruise is Found by the CIA - Extended Preview

Tom Cruise and the DEA Set up the Culprits

Official Trailer

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American Made

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Cast

Tom Cruise

Domhnall Gleeson

Sarah Wright

Jesse Plemons

Caleb Landry Jones

Lola Kirke

Jayma Mays

Alejandro Edda

Benito Martinez

E. Roger Mitchell

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