STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning During the 1980s, the Medellin cartel funnelled a limitless supply of drugs through the port of Miami. Robert Mazur (Bryan Cranston) was an undercover agent, who assumed an identity as a mob member who conceived a clever plan for the criminals to move their ill gotten gains through the channels, and grew close to the top members of the Medellin hierarchy as he went along, but his position took an inevitable toll on his marriage to wife Evelyn (Juliet Aubrey) and placed his life in a constant state of danger.The limitless supply of true life crime stories from the archive of the 1980s flashes up once again with this expose of another crime scandal. Lead star Cranston appears to be one of the stars who found fame later in life, and made the biggest impression in the TV drama Breaking Bad, which I never caught. And so, this would seem to be the piece where I caught him for the first time, and he certainly has the presence to carry this role through. The film plays in a similar vein to 1997's Donnie Brasco, and those who enjoyed that film will be on pleasingly similar ground here.Director Brad Furman helms proceedings in a manner that will have become familiar to those who catch a great deal of present day crime thrillers, in a gritty, uncompromising manner, only by unflinchingly honing in on the predicament of Mazur's situation, rather than on any gratuitous blood letting scenes, in particular a harrowing scene in a restaurant where he's forced to make an example of a poor, innocent waiter to keep face in front of a mob pal. But it all builds up to a satisfying pay-off in the end, and you'll be glad you stuck with it.Aside from Cranston, there is a wonderful supporting cast, including the likes of John Leguizamo, Daniel Mays and Joseph Gilgun to keep the ship floating. Not that the juicy, shattering revelations of the 1980's crime scene won't be enough. ****

The Infiltrator is a familiar movie with familiar characters, a familiar plot, and familiar twists. While watching this movie, you may find yourself thinking, "this is all fine, but it seems like something is missing." That something is originality.The movie has a sizable originality problem. With each passing scene, you will notice previously used tropes from Donnie Brasco (the infiltrator empathizing with criminals while undercover) and The Departed (the infiltrator struggling to withstand the emotional burdens of the job), to name a few. Trust me, there are plenty more. This could work fine if the filmmakers infused the story with at least a few drops of their own special sauce, but this isn't the case.The lack of originality could have also been overcome if this movie managed to reach the quality levels of its predecessors (a tall task, for certain). To do this the movie required some intensity, some sequences that evoked raw emotional responses from viewers. This never happens. At no point are we led to feel that the infiltrator is any real danger.Additionally, the execution needed to be crisp and consistent. It wasn't. Instead it often felt disjointed. The scenes often lacked coherent transitions so we were left watching the infiltrator interacting with various groups of characters who have no clear connection to one another until the final few scenes. Even then there is no big payoff or surprise. It is, once again, unoriginal.Despite its flaws, the movie is certainly not a total miss. Bryan Cranston showcases his acting authority once again. His brightest displays account for the movie's strongest moments. One particular scene with Cranston and his wife at dinner will be remembered. (That clip is worth watching on Youtube, if you plan to skip the movie.) Still, Cranston could only do so much. Don't blame him for this one; I certainly do not. Though he admirably trudges along, at times appearing very aware of the movie's clichés, he can't completely mask the movie's stale flavor. What we are left with is something resembling leftover pizza from a great pizza place that has been microwaved the next day. It's fine. There's still something wonderful there. But it's unmistakably un-fresh. And it ultimately leaves you unsatisfied.

This film is about an undercover agent, who infiltrates deep into the euros of drug lords and money laundering networks in order to capture the vast network of criminals. The infiltration goes so deep that it is hard to tell what is really happening."The Infiltrator" is a strange film to watch. There are elements that make me want to like the film, such as the undercover couple being very good in their roles. However, I find the characters very confusing, as I can hardly keep up with who is who, and who is on which side. When a guy is murdered in the club, I don't even know which side he is on, or who killed him. The story is not very engaging or suspenseful, so I can't say I liked it a lot.

The InfiltratorIn some ways this might seem like a straight up crime and drugs movie, with Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston in the leading role. But these true events and actual characters take you to the top of a government effort to undercut the money laundering operations of the biggest cartel of all.And Cranston is great. Around him is a really strong cast, including some disreputable types from all around. The pressures are huge, and the tension believable as people question who they can trust. Because to go undercover requires people helping you keep your cover, and that's increasingly hard because the money, and the low price of a life, are constant pressures.The movie is based in Florida in the 1980s, and it's a weird place to revisit. Diane Kruger is a great, relaxed presence once she shows up, and John Leguizamo is terrific as a sidekick, essential to the energy of the film.There some problems, for sure, with compacting the plot or characterizing Escobar. Or making the private life of the main agent so easily intertwined with the undercover world—they should be states apart. But never mind the quibbles. A strong, commanding movie.