Mum's Monday: American Made

WARNING SPOILERS

Based on a true story this film starts off as a modern Universal feature, to quickly becoming a past version, in keeping with the era this film/story is set, 1978 onwards. It is a clever idea.

All off a sudden Barry Seal (Tom Cruise) leaps before he looks and the film really gets going.

The parts where Barry is talking on a screen to camera helps tell the story the film is based on and works well. The cartoon graphics also help makes you understand the geography and gives a light-hearted insight into all of it.

There is a lot of references to organisations with letters, with TWA, RAC, and CIA. They are used so much that it is noticeable in the script, but as this is what happened, these all have to be included.

It has now jumped to 1980 and it seems when you have a problem with exports into the USA, you offer 2000 Dollars a kilo. Barry sees Dollar signs, what he doesn’t see is a long runway. It is Barry’s problem. These become edge of your seat scenes and those poor trees.

In another scene where Barry continues to talk to camera and it looks like things are about to change.

Barry now owns his own airport in a quiet rundown town, I can see why they ended up where they did, an airport and 2000 acres can be very useful.

In one part, yes Barry keep doing what you do best, keep delivering, simple really.

Poor Bob, not much is known about Bob, this shows there are some amusing scenes in this film.

With 2000 acres it is just crying out to become a training ground and is ripe for expansion. What a great use of the space.

It is not surprising how money can transform a small rundown town.

It is now 1982 and Barry is on the up and up and up and up. this film is a good example of yes you can have too much money.

Now we see Lucy Seal’s (Sarah Wright) brother JB (Caleb Landry Jones) turn up, he could also be known as the weakest link, and it is good to see that despite how much money you have stealing is still frowned upon, proving it is still wrong.

It is also worth noting that a lot of money in one place can raise suspicion.

It is good to see Barry obey the ‘Land Immediately’ order, the residents on the street might not think so. When you fly as much as Barry, landing in an unusual place seems inevitable.

Just when you think you have finished with all the organisations known by letters, the DEA turns up.

The sheriff continues to be suspicious, and things are about to unravel, proving there is only so far up you can go.

Now we also have the FBI and the ATF, Barry is free to go and it is amusing to see the look on Dana Sibota (Jayma Mays) face.

Now Barry is working for a higher power and sadly the photo doesn’t lie.

It is sad to see that Barry doesn’t get put somewhere safe, same place same time is a risk.

You could say this film/true story is the ultimate undercover operation of all time, but with a sad and tragic ending. We hear a reference to where Lucy had worked before, so to see her where she ends up you just know she and the kids will be ok.

The reference to her previous circumstances is a nice touch in remembrance, that is how I see the bracelet.