Thanks for the memories!

So much average

Absolutely the worst movie.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

I LOVE Bryan Cranston and I really really wanted to like this movie. It was just not good....at all.

This movie will leave you on the the edge of your seat from beginning to end. If you know anything about the beginning of the South American drug cartels, and their way of operating, or not, this will be a rewarding experience. Cranston is, as usual, excellent in his role as a US Customs agent posing as a major money laundered to get the big fishes on the hook during the 80's blooming cocaine trade in Florida. As a former accountant, a family man with children, he soon realises he is in over his head, but raises to the task and do an excellent, but constantly life threatening job. Adapting to an increasingly brutal environment he does a great job, despite not getting really good support from his superior officers. A movie based on true events, and one I wished actually were longer than it's 127 min running time. A must see.

Bryan Cranston is "The Infiltrator" and it's Pablo Escobar's drugs cartel that he's infiltrating. Brad Furman's thriller takes some time to build up a head of steam but once it does, about two-thirds of the way in, it's pretty exciting. Cranston obviously got the part on the coat-tails of "Breaking Bad" but he's miscast here, (even in "Breaking Bad" he was never that convincing playing the tough guy), and it's left to the likes of John Leguizamo as his tough-talking, streetwise partner and Yul Vazquez's flamboyant, bisexual villain to carry the picture.There's a lot of plot to get through and even more characters, most of them hiding behind beards and all of them nasty. Where the film scores is in showing just how dangerous undercover work can be and there's a nice touch of black humour in the climax. It's said to be based on a true story and they do say that truth is stranger than fiction but this does seem rather far-fetched. It's certainly watchable but with a stronger script it might even have been memorable.

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.