Bryan Cranston Plunges Into Escobar’s World in ‘The Infiltrator’

Sandra Miska

Bryan Cranston, the Oscar nominee who found stardom later on in his career with the critically acclaimed television series “Breaking Bad,” plays a similar character in the fact-based thriller “The Infiltrator.” Cranston portrays Bob Mazur, a family man who gives up his job as an IRS accountant for a career as an undercover FBI agent and finds himself entangled in the world of illegal drugs.

When the character is first introduced in ‘86, he is eligible for retirement and settling into an easy life with his loyal wife Evelyn (Juliet Aubrey); instead of winding down his career, he takes on his biggest challenge yet – convincing his boss Bonni Tischler (Amy Ryan) to let him pose as a savvy businessman who offers money laundering services to Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar’s cartel. Bob cozies up to international bankers who have no scruples about dealing with cocaine dealers in the black money market. Assisting him is fellow undercover agent Emir Abreu (John Leguizamo) whose freewheeling methods don’t always sit well with the more cautious Bob.

“The Infiltrator” is so layered that it could easily be a TV series with its colorful cast of characters, darkly humorous moments and international locales. After Bob gets in with a group of men somewhat low on the Escobar totem pole, he nearly blows his cover at a gentlemen’s club where the faithfully married agent sits out a group sexcapade, citing a fictional relationship as an excuse. As a result, he is assigned a partner, rookie agent Kathy Ertz (Diane Kruger), to masquerade as his fiancée.

Together with Kathy, Bob becomes fast friends with one of Escobar’s top men, Roberto Alcaino (Benjamin Bratt) and his warmhearted wife Gloria (Elena Anaya). Kathy proves convincing as Bob’s bride-to-be, almost a little too well, as the two agents can’t help but feel guilty as they bond with the couple. Ultimately, Bob and Kathy’s work culminates in their fake wedding where they plan to gather all of their new friends and have them arrested. Needless to say, there are some cold feet.

Cranston gives another remarkable performance in “The Infiltrator.” The film may be about the drug trade in the ‘80s but don’t expect many “Scarface”-style shootouts since this is a film primarily about relationships. Unfortunately, there are so many characters that it’s easy to forget who’s who and how certain individuals are connected and it would’ve made more sense to shift the focus to the complex friendship between the two couples.

“The Infiltrator” opens July 13 nationwide.