I watched this movie after having watched Kill the Messenger with Jeremy Renner because it dealt with the same subject matter. I was anxious to see the similarities and differences between the two. One thing I have to say right away is that Kill the Messenger was a lot better.

American Made deals with the CIA involvement in allowing drugs to flow into the US in order to surreptitiously arm the Nicaraguan Contras. Barry Seal (Tom Cruise) was a principal player in smuggling drugs into the U.S. as he was a pilot who was given the knowledge and resources to smuggle the drugs. He made millions of dollars in the process and was insanely successful at smuggling.

The movie had a light tone and atmosphere. Maybe it was to match the attitude and demeanor of the main character or maybe not, but that was one thing I appreciated about Kill the Messenger. Kill the Messenger gave the issue the proper respect. It was treated seriously and there were even pertinent video clips showing the outrage from those who'd suffered due to drugs. American Made was the iterations of a loosey goosey adventurer type who was making more money than he knew what to do with. It was very lighthearted and humorous even though the topic was anything but.

I liked the movie for the historical information it presented but nothing more than that. It's based upon a true story but we can only imagine how closely to the truth it adhered.