The Infiltrator Review

3

When first introduced to Bryan Cranston’s Robert Mazur in Brad Furman’s The Infiltrator, we believe him to be a high-flying cocaine dealer, such is the convincing nature of his portrayal. It’s completely vital this be the case, as the viewer are conned in the same way so many are soon to be, as moments later we understand he’s working undercover for the government – and on the brink of a monumental bust.

Set in 1986 during the war on drugs, Mazur is a U.S. customs official, who learns of a extraordinary money laundering scheme that involves the notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar. Using an informant found by his colleague Emir Abreu (John Leguizamo), Mazur adopts the identity of shrewd, shady businessman Bob Musella, willing to launder tens of millions of dollars, to help frame not only the cartel members, but the corrupt bankers involved. Alongside his false wife Kathy Ertz (Diane Kruger), the pair go beyond the realm of duty and get embroiled in the situation, befriending the likes of criminal Roberto Alcaino (Benjamin Bratt), knowing fully well they’re set to destroy his life. As long as they don’t blow their cover and get caught, first.

Given the nature of this narrative, and the fact the majority of the tale takes place through the eyes, and ears, of an undercover officer, what transpires is a film that constantly has you looking over the protagonist’s shoulders, always anticipating a knock at the door, a sour and dramatic change in the atmosphere. It becomes a challenge to focus fully on the scene at hand, as you feel sidetracked, concerned by the threat of the cover being blown, which places the audience in the same shoes as Mazur, making for a distinctly immersive cinematic experience.

What also helps, in that regard, is the use of music, which adds so much to the overall tone, and creates an indelible atmosphere, as you’re thrown into the era both visually and viscerally. Furman moves through this story with a relative pace too, moving from one sequence to the next in an unrelenting manner. Rarely does the filmmaker linger, and while the hurried approach adds to the sense of chaos and enhances the suspense in parts, at the same time it’s emblematic of a film that is covering too much ground, and perhaps a breather every now and then would be appreciated.

The one constant, however, is Cranston – who turns in a magnetic display in the leading role. Similarly to his Oscar nominated turn in Trumbo, we see a flawed man so caught up and embroiled in his world that he disregards his family in the process, and while that goes down as something of an imperfection, such is the presence and sheer charisma of the dynamic actor, that you find yourself rooting for him, wanting nothing more than for him to come out on top.