American Made

Going into it: 5/10
I saw the theatrical trailers and read about the real Barry Seal. I expected I'd see it, it'd be enjoyable but that'd be it (a score of 3) and I thought I might see it on TV (2). That's about normal.

Entertainment Value: 7/10
I liked it. I'll probably rent it once so my wife can see it. Maybe even the kids - maybe (see below).  So that's a 2. If someone wanted to go see it in the theater, I wouldn't say no. So that's a 4. We're at a 6 which doesn't feel right for entertainment so I'll give the extra point for a 7.

Art Value: 6/10

Acting: 2/3

I'm not a big Tom Cruise fan, but man did he have fun in this movie. Normally, he's got the wide grin, but I noticed that was tamped down. He plays the lovable buffoon and honestly, I could only picture Nathan Fillion enjoying the role more - except for maybe the stunts. That may have been a new high for Cruise.

Sara Wright did very well too. She didn't come across as a bimbo but as a woman who enjoyed what her husband brought to the table.

Cinematography: 2/3

This was hard. There were some deliberate choices based on the time period and they made it work pretty well. Cinemasins might actually be entertained with the logos because they dove into that theme of retrograding everything to the 80s.

Editing: 2/3

Again, some interesting choices here. They had some non-action scenes that were fast cuts, but it mirrored Seal's adrenaline level. That's the first time I remember seeing that and I thought it was pretty smart. It was an artistic choice that let me know the editor was there without blasting it in my face.

Writer: 3/4

The movie hit all the beats. The dialogue was enjoyable, although I had a hard time with "No [you don't trust me], but you do love me". The theme seemed to be about that pursuit of money out of control will catch up to you. I didn't feel beat over the head with it too much. It didn't really even pop on my radar until about 3/4s into the film and it was in an unexpected way.

I did want to look at my watch twice. But, the film was structured enough that I could tell how far into the movie we were based on the story. And immediately after I wanted to look, the story moved on to the next sequence.

Director: 3/5

I enjoy Doug Liman's films and this one was no exception. I don't think this was an Oscar-winner, but it was an enjoyable film. Casting was great, lighting, all good choices.

Producer: 1/2

Gotta say, it was a smart move and getting Cruise was a good move.