The Infiltrator (2016)

A U.S. Customs official uncovers a money laundering scheme involving Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.

Director:

Brad Furman

Writers:

Ellen Furman (screenplay) (as Ellen Brown Furman), Robert Mazur (based on the book on)

Stars:

Bryan Cranston, John Leguizamo, Diane Kruger

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bryan Cranston	...	Robert Mazur
Leanne Best	...	Bowling Alley Waitress
Daniel Mays	...	Frankie
Tom Vaughan-Lawlor	...	Steve Cook
Niall Hayes	...	Scott Mazur
Lara Decaro	...	Andrea Mazur
Juliet Aubrey	...	Evelyn Mazur
Olympia Dukakis	...	Aunt Vicky
Amy Ryan	...	Bonni Tischler
John Leguizamo	...	Emir Abreu
Joseph Gilgun	...	Dominic
Jason Isaacs	...	Mark Jackowski
Richard Katz	...	Attorney
Fred Furman	...	Federal Court Judge
Juan Cely	...	The Informant

Storyline

During the 1980s, U.S. Customs Service special agent Robert Mazur uses his undercover alias "Bob Musella" to become a pivotal player for drug lords cleaning their dirty cash. Later, he infiltrates the world's largest cartel, and helps expose the money-laundering organization of drug lord Pablo Escobar and take down the Bank of Credit and Commerce International, which had secretly taken illegal ownership of First American Bank shares in Washington, D.C. He survives the deception and has a long and productive career..

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Plot Keywords:

undercover agent | money laundering | corruption | drug cartel | based on true story | 

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Taglines:

The true story of one man against the biggest drug cartel in history

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Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, language throughout, some sexual content and drug material

Details

Official Sites:

Mongrel Media Official Facebook

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

13 July 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

El infiltrado

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$28,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,303,775, 17 July 2016, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$15,425,870, 25 September 2016

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$14,805,854, 5 August 2016

Company Credits

Production Co:

George Films, Good Films Collective, Lipsync Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

127 min

Color:

Color Black and White Color (archive footage)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In one scene, Kathy (Diane Kruger) states that Aunt Vicky (Olympia Dukakis) gives an Academy Award worthy performance. Dukakis won a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for Moonstruck (1987).

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Goofs

The film is set in 1985, there's a shot outside a Florida liquor store that has a "Lotto" sign. The Florida lottery didn't begin operations until 1988.

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Quotes

Robert Mazur: Roberto, I am glad you are here. But there is a part of me that wishes you hadn't taken that risk.
Roberto Alcaino: Without family or friends what kinda world it is be. There will be no reason to be alive. Hmm? It's a good day.

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Connections

Featured in Late Night with Seth Meyers: Bryan Cranston/Kate McKinnon/The Julie Ruin/Thomas Lang (2016)

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Soundtracks

Pusherman
Written & Performed by Curtis Mayfield
Courtesy of Warner Music UK Ltd
(c) 1972 (Renewed) Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI)
All rights administered by Warner/Chappell North America Ltd

User Reviews

More about BCCI than it is about Escobar.

"The Infiltrator" brings the story of undercover agent Robert Mazur. As the movie opens (with Rush's "Tom Sawyer" blasting away), we are reminded that it is "Tampa, Florida 1985", and we see Mazur at work, in what turns out the be the last phase of an undercover job. Due to his length of service, Maruz is offered the possibility to retire with full benefits. Instead, to the dismay of his wife Ev, he decides to take on one more job, far more complicated and dangerous than he ever imagined. As this point we're not even 15 minutes into the movie, but to tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this movie is directed by Brad Furman, who previously brought us the Matthew McConaughey-fronted thriller "The Lincoln Lawyer". Screenplay is by Ellen Brown Furman (I imagine related to the director, but don't know for a fact). This is a narco crime drama that is essentially "The Sting" on steroids: can Maruz (in his undercover role as Bob Musella) and his rookie partner Kathy Ertz pull off a sting of gigantic proportions, right under the noses of the feared Colombia drug cartel of Pablo Escobar? As you have probably noted, the connection with Pablo Escobar is played up in the movie's marketing materials. The reality is that Escobar is perhaps hovering over the movie in spirit, but the movie in fact is a lot more about what happened with BCCI (the UK's Bank of Credit and Commerce International), the 7th largest private bank at that time. (And if you are looking for a true Escobar crime drama, check out "Escobar: Paradise Lost", starring Benicio Del Toro and Josh Hutcherson.) "The Infiltrator" has many great moments, and is tense almost from the get-go. Bryan Cranston, on the heels of the excellent "Trumbo" last year (but still best known for his work on TV's "Breaking Bad"), delivers yet another winning performance. But the big surprise for me was the outstanding work from Diane Kruger as the rookie undercover partner. She is superb (aside from being superbly beautiful). Lots of great songs throughout the movie, including The Who's "Eminence Front", which plays not once but twice in the movie!

"The Infiltrator" opened this weekend and I couldn't wait to see it. The Friday evening screening where I saw this at here in Cincinnati was attended very nicely, somewhat to my (pleasant) surprise. I found "The Infiltrator" to be a riveting narco crime-drama, the likes of which we don't get to see enough, and would encourage you to check it out, be it in theaters, on VOD or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray. "The Infiltrator" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!