"The Infiltrator" review

The year is 1985. Coca-Cola has done away with its classic formula, introducing the world to New Coke; Nintendo is taking America by storm with the NES; and President Ronald Reagan, now in his second term, is pursuing the so-called "War on Drugs."

One method of fighting this war was using undercover cops to infiltrate the underground cartels. The Infiltrator tells the story of one such cop named Robert Mazur (portrayed by Bryan Cranston), a U.S. Customs Agent who nudged his way into the money laundering business of the largest drug cartel in the world, spearheaded by none other than Pablo Escobar.

It's a fascinating true story that makes for a riveting film; however, Director Brad Furman's film has been catching some criticism for not delivering the edginess promised by its trailers. While your palms will sweat during a few scenes, that's not the focus here. What separates The Infiltrator from other undercover cop films is its attention to the themes of loyalty, trust, family, and the emotional weight Mazur bears while building genuine relationships with the very people he's trying to bring down.

Bryan Cranston gives his best performance since Breaking Bad. With nothing more than a subtle look here and there he is able to portray the pride of Mazur's accomplishments as well as the pain of perfidy as he falls deeper down the rabbit hole. Cranston is magnetic in this movie and it's easy to get caught up in everything his character is doing. The rest of the cast also does great work, including John Leguizamo and Diane Krueger as his partners and Benjamin Bratt as a cartel higher-up who befriends Mazur.

The Infiltrator is worth your time.