Post ‘Breaking Bad’ I confess that I’ll watch anything with Bryan Cranston in it. A few of his efforts since giving up the meth trade have been a little disappointing, but I was pleased to see that he was pretty much on form here in ‘The Infiltrator.’ Granted it’s still not up to the dramatic standards of ‘Breaking Bad,’ but don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s not worth a watch.
It’s a true life tale (or as true as any Hollywood adaptation is these days) set in the early eighties where a drugs officer (Cranston) goes undercover in order to infiltrate the organised drugs trade of the day. Like I say, I don’t know how many liberties have taken with the story, but it does seem to try and remain grounded in realism, not bothering with any major shoot-outs, punch-ups or car chases. So, if you’re looking for some ‘Bad Boys’ style action epic, you’re be sorely disappointed here.As Cranston slowly progresses deeper and deeper into the trade, don’t expect the speed of the film to pick up much. As I mentioned, it’s definitely not about action and focuses on how far he has to go and what he has to sacrifice in order to remain undercover (and therefore remain alive!). In short: it’s a slow-burner.
The supporting cast tends to be a load of people who you say, ‘Oh, I’ve seen him in that film – you know the one I mean’ and ‘It’s her out of that other TV show.’ They’re all functional enough, but Cranston has to carry it and without him it probably would never have been given a theatrical release in the first place. Even with my love of Cranston’s work, I have to say I found the first half almost a little too slow and was debating whether I’d like it in the end. However, it does still pick up enough to all come together in the end and, if you’re into a more ‘thoughtful/realistic’ take on a tale that most of us seasoned cinema-goers will have seen countless times, it’s certainly worth a watch.
7/10 if I woke up on Groundhog Day and had to watch this again, I could live with that
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