This weekend I went to see the Clint Eastwood directed “American Sniper”, which features the unrecognizable Bradley Cooper playing the title role. This film is based on the memoir of the same name, written by America’s most deadly sniper in history, Chris Kyle. I was skeptical at first when entering the theatre because, while Eastwood is one of Hollywood’s finest directors, his films have had a recent dip in form (ie “Jersey Boys” and “J. Edgar”). Nonetheless, I had high hopes for a gripping war epic that boasted a trailer this good. The 2014 oscar nominations were released just over a week ago and “American Sniper” was heavily featured, with Cooper nabbing a best actor nod. At this point I knew I had to witness the hype for myself, as Cooper earned a nomination over David Oyelowo’s fantastic portrayal of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. in “Selma”. But at the end of the movie, I knew I had just seen a welcome return to form for Clint Eastwood. This film interweaves Kyle’s personal life with his brutal four tours in Iraq, creating a multilayered and intense story about honor and family. This film does a great job showing the emotional toll Kyle’s actions have on him, and while Cooper seems fine, the guilt and horror of his experiences in the war slowly creep beneath surface and haunt him. When Kyle returns home to his wife Taya, played by Sienna Miller, he struggles to settle in to normal family life as his comrades are still fighting and risking their lives. Cooper does a fantastic job of portraying a humble and subdued, yet tortured warrior who is trying to balance his family life with his undying desire to serve his country. “American Sniper” features intense and nail-biting action sequences that show off Eastwood’s directing chops and also portray a very serious, and very relevant issue in the Middle East. This movie is easily one of my favorite of the year, but is not for the faint of heart. I would recommend it to anyone who is able to handle an emotionally stressful and riveting war drama.
Cooper gives the performance of a lifetime but this film does not feature an ensemble effort out side of Cooper and Sienna Miller. Eastwood provides a gritty and emotionally resonant look into the war and Kyle's life without being flashy and over the top, and the adaptation by Jason Hall of Kyle's memoir translates Kyle's story to the big-screen without altering the source material for hollywood effect.
A-