![The Flash - Season 1](/uploads/profile_image/b94/e2dbb233-6110-4fcc-a4bc-702f77a63b94.jpg?m=1570606919)
The Flash - Season 1
TV Season Watch
Season 1 of this action-adventure series follows Barry Allen (Grant Gustin), an assistant police...
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Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated American Made (2017) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
The adverts for this made it look like quite a good film, and I honestly couldn't believe that this actually happened. Well, I sort of can, but still.
I'm not a massive fan of Tom Cruise, I think possibly because all of his films I've seen don't give him much variation from who he is, but this one was different. It kind of made me feel he was the Del Boy of America. Always looking for a quick buck and a little bit bumbling. Even if it was on a much bigger scale. I don't quite think that Del Boy would have done well with cartels.
As is the way in Hollywood the story has been tweaked to suit the cinematic needs. Since writing the paragraph above I have read a bit more about Barry Seal and it seems the films as made him a bit more shiny for the purposes of marketing. And by that I mean that it sounds as if he wasn't quite as innocent at the beginning as the film makes it appear. But, that just from reading a few articles, I'll let you come to your own conclusions.
An enjoyable films though, that kind of made you root for the "bad guy".
![City on a Hill](/uploads/profile_image/053/72710481-d423-4ceb-855b-c54761a92053.jpg?m=1547207916)
City on a Hill
TV Show
Set in Boston in the early 90s when the city was rife with violent criminals emboldened by local law...
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Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated American Made (2017) in Movies
Jul 11, 2019
The film is ambitious in trying to tell serious historic events as a campy adventure in which Barry is care free despite the consequences of his actions. Nothing about the film seems right. It unfortunately, can make an audience feel uneasy cheering on a drug smuggler who is making inordinate amounts of money for some of the most dangerous individuals on the face of the earth.
A positive effect of the film is that it demonstrates to audiences the complexities of American Foreign policy, drug policy, and corruption that existed in the 1980s and that it shouldnβt be viewed with rose colored glasses. If anything, it may offer another perspective about the period that not too many people may be familiar with and create a desire in them to research more about the period and events.
American Made offers audiences a funny, introspective, personal account of one manβs experience working for the government and drug cartels that allows for a break from some of the more serious and dark portrayals that have typically been featured. Audiences will enjoy reminiscing about the 80s and think back to how complicated the period actually was.
![One Last Job](/uploads/profile_image/e9c/83cd4512-7108-4378-9313-d797029b6e9c.jpg?m=1522329602)
One Last Job
Tom Pettifor and Nick Sommerlad
Book
One Last Job: the extraordinary life story of Brian Reader, Britain's most prolific thief.The iconic...
![Anyone Who Had a Heart: My Life and Music](/uploads/profile_image/01b/6a7f797d-e34c-43be-9fa6-ae1b913a701b.jpg?m=1522328034)
Anyone Who Had a Heart: My Life and Music
Book
Burt Bacharach is one of the most celebrated and legendary song-writers of the twentieth century....
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Lee (2222 KP) rated American Made (2017) in Movies
Aug 31, 2017
It certainly is an idea role for Cruise. Based on a true story, Cruise plays Barry Seal. Top pilot for TWA and bored of the same old routine day in, day out. When his co-pilot and passengers are all asleep during a flight, he relieves the monotony by faking some heavy turbulence in order to wake them all up, but it's not enough. So, when he's approached by CIA agent Schafer (Domhnall Gleeson) to work for them, flying exciting reconnaissance missions over South America, he jumps at the chance. And then during a refueling stop in Colombia, Seal is recruited by Pablo Escobar's drug cartel, who offer to pay him $2000 for each kilo of cocaine he can carry from Columbia to Louisiana. Then he begins flying guns from Arkansas to Nicaragua while still continuing the drugs runs. Seal finds himself with more money than he can spend, burying bags of it in his backyard and piling it up in wardrobes. He can't turn around without bumping into money, and all the while the stakes are getting higher, the potential consequences of his actions increasing.
Caught up in among all of this are Seals wife and kids. Finding themselves woken by him at 4am and being told they need to move home before their house is raided at 6am, before gradually adjusting to their new, increasingly expensive lifestyle. We never quite get to spend enough time with that part of Barry's life, taking a backseat instead to the roller coaster thrill seeking that he's got himself wrapped up in outside of home.
Cruise charms and grins his way through all of this perfectly. Obviously he did all of the flying scenes himself and he must have had a real blast making this movie. There's a good deal of humour throughout and the use of film grain, handheld cameras and Kodak style lighting help to give it a real 70s-80s feel to match the era it's set in. A fun, entertaining movie and a return to form for Mr Cruise!
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LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Fonzo (Capone) (2020) in Movies
Jul 4, 2021
What Made Me Who I am
Book
Powerful and moving stories of inspiration, adversity, and triumph from the Washington Speakers...
![Memories of Development: My Time in Irish Theatre and Broadcasting](/uploads/profile_image/78d/87dd0564-3d1a-429f-846d-0cc09b2fc78d.jpg?m=1522354810)
Memories of Development: My Time in Irish Theatre and Broadcasting
Book
R oland Jaquarello is one of the few directors to have worked in nearly every major Irish theatre...