Director: Brad Furman
Cast Headliners: Bryan Cranston, Diane Kruger, John Leguizamo, Benjamin Bratt
Original Release Date : July 13th, 2016
The
Infiltrator has two strong aspects going into it. It features a starring role
in Bryan Cranston as undercover Customs agent Robert Mazur, and it follows the
story of the major 1980s sting operation against Pablo Escobar’s operation in
Florida/ the USA. While there’s some good performances and directing to be found,
they are at times buried in a sea of other things.
Cranston’s
Mazur is great. In every performance he brings a range, craft, and intensity
that always makes him a highlight. When it comes to this film he delivers, and
while the material at times is repetitive he is convincing. Especially solid
when looking at Mazur’s undercover identity “Bob Musella”. Much like a
Heisenberg once upon a time, Cranston is a chameleon able to shift through
different situations. Although it’s in his usual style, and almost an inverse
of that character’s role, he is a entertaining lead for the film.
The
rest of the cast is for the most part good. The shaky interactions between
Mazur and his partner Emir Abreu(John Leguizamo) are pretty decent, although when
the latter goes off on his own Leguizamo does not quite carry scenes the same
way. Bit players such as Jason Isaacs as
Mark Jackowski, Said Taghmaoui as Amjad Awan, Olympia Dukakis as Aunt Vicky,
Juliet Aubrey as Evelyn Mazur are other moderately decent standouts in a sea of
even more bit players.
The
film meanders at times, likely limited to its adherence to reality, but a
strong aspect comes from the fake romance of Mazur with his “fiancé” Kathy Ertz
(Diane Kruger) and the drug powerhouse Roberto Alcaino (Benjamin Bratt) and his
wife Gloria (Elena Anaya). Kruger is solid
in a way matching her chemistry with Cranston’s Mazur, both being undercover
agents. And Bratt is really good in a sympathetic way, as is his love/hate
relationship with Mazur.
The
directing by Brad Furman is competent, with the 1980s singing through in
musical choices. Things get intense when
they need to be. At times things can be a bit shaky, but it provides a decent
backdrop in some exotic locales for a very dialogue heavy slow burner.
Ultitmately
its slow burn , fact heavy nature will be what one either likes or doesn’t. There’s
action at times, but its in a long process with a lot of buildup and little
sting. But the Cranston is good when the Cranston is good. 7.65 out of 10
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