Not as popular as some of the big releases during this past summer, The Infiltrator by Brad Furman (The Take, The Lincoln Lawyer), will leave you wanting to know everything about the life of undercover agent Robert Mazur (Bryan Cranston). Early on in the movie, Robert becomes involved in an undercover mission to take down Pablo Escobar’s drug cartel, or at least their presence, in 1980s Florida. He assumes the identity of Bob Musella, which is where the movie starts to take an interesting turn from the classic Miami Vice feel.
At first, the film may seem as though it’s story is lacking and the only thing saving it is the acting, which is clearly done with passion by both the main characters and the supporting cast. Before long, however, the sparkling glamour of the 1980s begins to dissipate, and the movie becomes shockingly real. As Robert Mazur, Bryan Cranston lives the life of a loving family man, who thinks of the things he has to do for work as exactly that. As he gets deeper and deeper undercover, however, the movie begins to explore how enticing it is to do what feels right instead of what is right.
If you have seen Breaking Bad and were as enthralled with Bryan Cranston’s performance as I was, you will remember exactly why you felt that way when watching The Infiltrator. In fact, Robert Mazur draws many parallels to the infamous Walter White. Both characters are family men who get tempted to do the wrong thing. As many of you know, (SPOILERS) in Breaking Bad, Walter White first begins to cook meth to help his family and to do what he can to put them in a good place financially before he inevitably dies of cancer. Unfortunately for his family, Walter becomes less and less like the chemistry teacher/father he is in the beginning, and devolves into his alias “Heisenberg,” the drug lord that would not let anyone stand in his way. In The Infiltrator, Robert Mazer has a tough time distinguishing himself from alter ego Bob Musella. His wife even begins to notice this when he starts dressing flashier and presents himself much differently than he did before he took on the mission. But, don’t write off The Infiltrator as a retelling of the same story Breaking Bad. When tempted by the urge to assume his other identity, (both through the drug trade and the temptation presented by his younger female partner), Robert hangs on to what he knows is right.
Due to the fact that I do not wish to spoil any of the important parts of the film, I will not go into any further detail about Robert’s journey. I do promise that if you enjoy action, satisfyingly deep plots, or just Bryan Cranston as a character actor, you will love every moment of Robert’s misadventures.
From start to finish, the film was visually impressive, and offered a perspective of undercover work which is not often showcased in movies or television programs.
Fresh and contemporary in both style and presentation, The Infiltrator will be released on DVD and Blu-ray October 11th, and will also be available on Amazon streaming that day as well. It is also estimated to release on Redbox and Netflix.
