A Pinoy @ The Movies: American Made

Although I am somewhat hesitant to spend two hours these days watching a Tom Cruise movie, I was thankful this one was worth the sitting.

The last time I saw a Tom Cruise movie, it was a comedy, The Mummy. Yes, it was supposed to be fantasy thingy, but it turned out to be a comedy of sorts.

I have seen Tom Cruise in person. It was sometime in 2009 when he went to Seoul to promote his movie, Valkyrie, a movie where his character died. 

He was having the Valkyrie premiere in the mall where I was getting some goodies to bring home to the Philippines as my flight was a day away. I never intended to squeeze myself with the thousands of his screaming Korean fans that night. But since I knew the mall's floor plan very well, I just positioned myself at the cinema floor next to an elevator. I figured, he would be going up the cinema level using the lift because it was freezing outside. I only sat on a bench nearby and observed the security personnel's movements. I guess I should have been a spy myself. Ha-ha-ha! Because when I noticed them looking jumpy, I stood up and stayed near the barricade. And I was right! 

A few moments later, Tom Cruise got out of the elevator along with his not-so-friendly-looking bodyguards, and he started shaking hands and having selfies with his fans. A Hollywood superstar was just an arm's length from where I stood and I could have shaken his right hand, but I did not. I didn't want to share the millions of viruses and bacteria in his hands after touching other people's. Ha-ha-ha! So I just took his photo, and left the chaos to get my grocery downstairs. I knew my priorities.

Another movie where he died was Collateral.

We can add another one, American Made.

American Made is a true story of Barry Seal, who was a commercial pilot before he got bored flying the usual routes. The story on how he ended up working for both the CIA and the Medellin Cartel is even more fascinating because it is a true story. 

I didn't know he was involved in that Iran-Contra affair that shook the White House! And I was even amazed he personally knew the legendary Pablo Escobar! And Tom Cruise spoke Spanish!

You'll like this film, too, not because Tom Cruise was sort of Jerry Maguire-ish smiling character, but because it was well made and very informative, especially on how CIA, the Medellin Cartel, and the rebels made this man very rich, so rich that he had to bury suitcases of cash in his backyard!

So, if you have time this week, you better catch Tom before the Medellin Cartel does. :-)

PS. Watch out for the last scene where his wife ends up working at KFC but wearing a thick diamond bracelet.