'The Infiltrator' lacks novelty but has nail-biting pizzazz
Bryan Cranston plays a federal agent going after Colombian drug lords聽in 鈥淭he Infiltrator,鈥� a kind of reverse-image 鈥淏reaking Bad鈥� that聽showcases once again Cranston鈥檚 robust acting chops. As real-life Robert聽Mazur, aka Bob Musella, he鈥檚 a man with a double life: a suburban husband聽and father but also a US Customs agent leading a sting operation that聽threatens not only himself but his wife and daughter.
The threats he faces are of the utmost luridness. So why does he risk聽everything? The film, directed by Brad Furman and written by Ellen聽Brown Furman (the director鈥檚 mother), never delves into the聽psychological intricacies of this question.
But then again, it鈥檚 not that kind of film. Just about every scene, set in聽the Reagan 1980s, has already been done, in some variation or other, by聽umpteen movies about feds and druggies, but what it lacks in novelty, it聽mostly makes up for in nail-biting pizzazz. The tension is sustained by the聽constant fear that one small slip, one misplaced word, can mean the end,聽not only to the sting operation but to Mazur.
There are the obligatory scenes in which Mazur pretends to be a high-end money launderer in order to work his way up the chain of the聽Medell铆n聽cartel. His partner, Emir, as hot-wired聽temperamentally聽as Mazur聽is cooled-out, is played by John Leguizamo in full throttle. His faux聽fianc茅e, undercover agent Kathy (Diane Kruger), looks like a blond objet聽d鈥檃rt but has smarts to spare. Slinky, slimy druggies inhabit much of this聽world, none so sleek as Miami-based Roberto Alcaino, played by聽Benjamin Bratt as if he were perpetually about to mix the perfect martini.
The film鈥檚 central dynamic 鈥� the infiltrator鈥檚 classic dilemma of getting聽too emotionally close to the people he will betray 鈥� could have been much聽enhanced. But on its own limited terms, 鈥淭he Infiltrator,鈥� like its hero,聽delivers the goods. Grade: B (Rated R for strong violence, language throughout, some sexual content and drug material.)
