Infiltrator, The

Based on a true story, The Infiltrator follows Federal agent Robert “Bob” Mazur (Cranston) as he goes deep undercover to infiltrate Pablo Escobar's drug trafficking scene plaguing the nation in 1986, by posing as slick, money-laundering businessman Bob Musella. Teamed with impulsive and streetwise fellow agent Emir Abreu (Leguizamo) and a rookie agent posing as his fiancée, Kathy Ertz (Kruger), Mazur befriends Escobar's top lieutenant Robero Alcaino (Bratt). Navigating a vicious criminal network in which the slightest slip-up could cost him his life, Mazur risks it all, building a case that leads to indictments of 85 drug lords and the corrupt bankers who cleaned their dirty men, along with the collapse of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International, one of the largest money-laundering banks in the world. (Gary Reber)

Special features include commentary with Director Brad Furman and Actor Bryan Cranston, five deleted scenes (HD 08:52), the featurettes The Three Bobs (HD 03:18), the three-part How To Infiltrate (HD 05:51), and upfront previews.

The 2.39:1 1080p AVC picture is saturated with stylized dark imagery throughout, with fleshtones that exhibit a reddish push. Contrast is squashed as well with poor shadow delineation in the seedy scenes. Bright scenes do much better but are still stylized with a documentary touch to the imagery. Resolution is excellent, especially during close-ups of facial features and objects. Less resolution is evident in the numerous darker scenes. The effect is effective to convey the seedy situations. Overall, this is a visually engaging picture depicting the undercover operations of drug money laundering. Realism is
impressive. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is dialogue focused, but atmospherics effectively enhance the realism of the scenes. The orchestral score nicely complements the seedy proceedings and dangers of the infiltration into the drug trafficking. Dialogue generally sounds spatially integrated, though, some scenes are wanting. Sounds often burst out, such as rumbling cars and mayhem during drug busts, Bass highlights are pronounced during music segments and sound effects. Surround envelopment is mostly delivered by the orchestral score and at times atmospherics and sound effects. But mostly this is an engaging dialogue soundtrack necessary to the story’s development. The soundtrack reaps of intense realism. (Gary Reber)