A United States Drug Enforcement Agent has made a career out of going deep undercover, but now, in the middle of the 1980s push to topple the drug kingpins in South America, makes a play for the biggest name in the business.
Based on the true story of Robert Mazur, The Infiltrator tells the story of the federal customs and excise agent, (Bryon Cranston) sacrificing much in his life to bring down some of the most notorious drug smugglers and dealers in the world. Using the undercover alias “Bob Musella” to build his illegal reputation, he is soon laundering money for many of the major bosses in the game, but under Ronald Reagan’s tough new policies, his agency want to go after the biggest, Pablo Escobar, the most powerful drug lord in the Western Hemisphere. No easy task, and one that will test the limits of Mazur for just how far he will go.
Directed by Brad Furman (The Lincoln Lawyer), the clip has a gritty feel to it, as expected, and seems to capture the time period pretty well without making it quite so obvious. Unlike American Hustle, which took broader swipes at the era it portrayed with a more humorous approach that poked a little parody at the time, almost to distraction, Furman looks to keep this one grounded. Cranston is a great choice and is an actor that time and time again has proven his skill portraying tormented and conflicted characters. No matter the ultimate quality of his films, he is endlessly watchable and is very compelling, especially in this clip. Furthermore, it’s always good to see Diane Kruger, who looks to adds some conflict here both emotionally and narratively.
There trailer reveals that the story will be standard though (including the generic title), with a headstrong hero and his diligent partner going up impossible odds while his wife back home stresses and makes him promise that this will be the last one. Nothing new, but the clip has a sharp edge to it and there’s no denying the quality of the direction with some nice moments throughout that suggest this might be more than an action flick.
The Infiltrator opens July 15, 2016.
Director:
Brad Furman
Writers:
Ellen Sue Brown (screenplay) (as Ellen Brown Furman), Robert Mazur (book)
Stars:
Bryan Cranston, John Leguizamo, Diane Kruger