American Made

Tom Cruise stars here as Barry Seal, the real-life TWA pilot who spent much of the late 1970s and 80s playing the CIA and Mexican cartels off against each other. There are vicarious thrills galore in this free-wheeling tale of drugs, planes and Reagan-era politics. It's fun to have a seat on the ride, but as soon as things get serious the lack of any deeper motivation for Seal other than cash means the final act falls a bit flat. Cruise is as charismatic as you would expect, sporting a respectable southern accent and portraying Seal as a man in search of the next rush. It would have been nice to have seen more depth in his performance, but at least Domhnall Gleeson, as Seal's CIA handler, is on hand to add a touch of darkness. Seal's story is certainly outrageous, but director Doug Liman could perhaps have done more with it if he'd got beneath its amusing surface.