BRYAN CRANSTON AND BENJAMIN BRATT - THE INFILTRATOR

Known for his Emmy Award winning role as Walter White on the groundbreaking TV series, Breaking Bad Bryan Cranston is back, but this time for his latest role he’s on the other side of the law.

The Infiltrator finds Bryan Cranston back in the world of drug trafficking, but this time the Breaking Bad Emmy winner is on the good side of the law in a pulse-pounding and first-rate true story based on former federal agent Robert Mazur’s memoir. In 1986, Mazur went deep undercover, ingeniously following the money trail all the way to the top of kingpin Pablo Escobar’s drug trafficking empire. Targeting more than 100 drug lords as well as the Bank of Credit and Commerce International, the key money-laundering operation for these illegal deals, Mazur risked his life in a remarkable sting operation that could not be more intense and exciting.

Bryan Cranston is absolutely amazing in the role  and being in almost every scene the intensity and authenticity he brings to his performance is mind blowing. There’s not a moment where you aren’t either biting your nails or sitting at the edge of your seat waiting to see what will happen to him and his colleagues who are in deep into the sting.

In (The Infiltrator,) Bob (Mazur) tends to get a little nervous before he has to get into character and has almost a little ritual he does with his partner. Does Cranston ever get nervous anymore before taking on a role and does he have a ritual or something he does before going on stage or shooting a scene?”  

“I do get nervous, at times, Cranston said during our recent interview. “The intricacies or subtleties or the complexity of the thought you’re trying to convey, or you’re naked and you’re doing a love scene. I just have this thing where I find a little corner for myself and do three deep breaths and when I exhale I make sure I just am in touch with my body and brain, they’re one So I just kind of try to blend it all together, shake out the nervous energy and take a chance.”
Unlike some films that try and glamorize certain parts of being undercover, what makes director Brad Fuller’s take on the material in The Infiltrator so good is that everything feels authentic, and you’re always on the edge of your seat. He also gets into the real relationships that form when you spend so much time undercover, and the lines begin the blur. If you’re looking for a smart adult thriller that has a great story and excellent performances, I really recommend checking this film out. The Infiltrator also stars John Leguizamo, Diane Kruger, Amy Ryan, Jason Isaacs and Benjamin Bratt.

Benjamin Bratt gives a stand out performance as Roberto Alacaino, a high-ranking member of Pablo Escobar’s drug cartel, in “The Infiltrator,” but to hear the actor tell it, the character is someone to be admired.  “He uses a kind of twisted logic to rationalize what he does for a living,” Bratt said in our recent interview. “Alacaino doesn’t see his career as something inherently evil, he’s simply meeting the demand of consumers. We know what he is doing is wrong and illegal but he’s a person of real integrity, he has principle,” Bratt said. “He’s a loyal and dear friend, he’s a family man, he’s a man of faith. He’s a doting father and a loving husband. He’s smart, charming, worldy. What’s not to like about this guy?”

I spoke exclusively with Bryan Cranston about playing Bob Mazur and with Benjamin Bratt about playing bad guys and working opposite Bryan Cranston.  Please click below for the interviews.

The Infiltrator is NOW playing in theatres across the U.S and opens in some Canadian cities on August 12th