This is based on a true story and book of Robert Mazur (Bryan Cranston) working as a DEA undercover agent out of Tampa. Mazur gets the idea to "follow the money" instead of the drugs. The film is nearly 2 hours of him meeting and chatting with bankers and various members of the Medellin Cartel in project C-Chase which also tied into CIA operations and the BCCI, a later scandal that was so complex, even when broken down and explained, Congress couldn't understand it.

The film is a real life crime drama. It has some action just when things are starting to creep. Some killing, some blood, some close calls. No one jumping from roof top to roof top. No car chase scenes, one car crash scene. No one fighting with a bullet in them. Action is bland when compared to modern super cop films.

Guide: F-word. Brief sex. No nudity.

Some things can feel like a drag. Like being an investigative undercover cop. You don't have much private life and you can't have too many friends. Well outside of the fake friendships you may create to get what you want. And while this does not hit you with a hammer over your head, there are subtle hints and some obvious ones in the portrayal Bryan Cranston gives us.

There are quite a few good actors in this and all is based on real persons and a real case. It really is difficult to capture all this and go into all the private moments. Even with two hours running time, there is certain things that have to be left out. But it still is very coherent and very suspenseful, from start to finish. It's not quite Infernal Affairs, but then again what movie is? This is powerful and while the most of the characters are despicable, they are also human beings and the struggle and transformation feels real.

Having said that, I do understand if for some this is not enough, one criticism I didn't get is about the music. Soundtrack by the numbers? What is that supposed to be? You can dislike the movie obviously taste-wise, but I would seriously like to know what another reviewer meant by this.

It's 1985 Tampa Bay, Florida. Family man U.S. Customs Service special agent Robert Mazur (Bryan Cranston) decides to follow the money rather than the drugs. Emir Abreu (John Leguizamo) helps him make connections. Mazur under a false identity uncovers a vast money laundering scheme with banks used by Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. After making up a fiancée, his boss Bonni Tischler (Amy Ryan) assigns green agent Kathy Ertz (Diane Kruger) for the role.

This real crime drama should be great material especially considering the talented cast. The movie turns out rather flat without intensity. The acting is solid but Brad Furman as the director adds very little to the final product. At times, the intense story gets surprisingly tedious. There is one scene with great potential. His wife gets caught up while they're on their anniversary dinner. There are different ways to button up the scene. She could completely break down or it could be funny if she really enjoyed it. The movie does neither and it ends up being an expected functional ride home. His wife does have two of the better scenes but the actual undercover work could have been more thrilling.