Jiminy Christmas, we seem to be on a roll here. Another surprise – and another great cast. John Sudeikis is one of those actors that keeps playing a similar character, but it works in the movie. In this one he played Jim Hoffman – a pilot and drug smuggler who got busted flying in a large cache of cocaine from Bolivia. To avoid prison time, he was recruited by the FBI to reel in bigger fish. Corey Stoll did an excellent job as FBI special agent Ben Tisa – who managed Hoffman. Lee Pace did an absolutely stunning job as John DeLorean – all I can say is wow! Filling out the cast was Judy Greer as Ellen (Jim Hoffman’s wife).
This movie was a wild ride through the late 1970s and 1980s – when cocaine, disco and ridiculous clothes ruled the night. The movie chronicled Hoffman’s attempts to setup drug dealer Morgan (played by Michael Cudlitz) for federal arrest. At the same time, Hoffman was living next door to John DeLorean, where they became friends. Hoffman witnessed some key moments in the history of DeLorean Motor Company as it struggled to get off the ground, got funding from the UK to build a factory in Northern Ireland, then the ensuing problems as low quality cars failed to reach sales targets.
In a last ditch effort to save his company and Irish workers’ jobs, DeLorean enlisted Hoffman to set up a cocaine deal to turn $2 million into $30 million – enough to keep his factory going. Instead, Hoffman and the FBI used the scheme to get two busts in one – Morgan and DeLorean. Hoffman seemed torn in his betrayal of DeLorean, which culminates in the trial where he was called to testify. The movie flashed back and forth between the past and the trial throughout.
I won’t give away the ending as the key points are readily available per Google, but the finale was very satisfying.
A thoroughly intriguing and entertaining movie, with great acting and even humorous in spots. 7 out of 8 cylinders firing!