We pack our planes with contraband and rap about American Made, the 2017 Doug Liman/Tom Cruise collaboration that left us delighted. We also get into a fair amount of dime store psychology in regards to Cruise, his internal life, his career, and his acting style.

Why did Tom Cruise want to play Barry Seal? Did he identify with the character in some deep way, or was it just another excuse for Cruise to fly planes and do his own stunts? Also, how does this movie differ from other semi-biopics about historically notable figures, and are those differences marks in its favor or strikes against it?