Movie Review: ‘American Sniper’

January 22, 2015 at 12:00 am | Posted in Movies, Reviews | 2 Comments

American Sniper, quite simply, is Clint Eastwood’s masterpiece. This is the best film he has ever directed. This is Bradley Cooper’s best performance. And this is one of the best war films I have ever seen. If you have any inkling to see this movie, do it.

As the trailers have hinted, this movie does more than just show the war, it portrays the life of a soldier. By diving into the main character, it shows a carefree guy going from the life of a cowboy to that of a Navy SEAL in Iraq. The pacing is perfect. Parts of the movie build the character, showcase his life at home and his family. We see him fall in love, get married, and have kids. Yet along the way, his life is interrupted by his other life, that of a soldier at war. There are scenes of combat, firefights, and brutality. As the movie continues, the war takes it’s toll and changes him. Consequently, his life changes to the point that his connection to his family becomes tenuous, and his reality becomes focused on fighting alongside his fellow soldiers. The significance of the separation plays a large part in the story as he grows away from kids and his wife, then struggles to return.

Politics and embellishments aside, if you can go into this movie with an open mind, it really is a tremendous film as Clint Eastwood brings this story to vivid life. I’ve read other reviews and I’ve seen the critiques. Honestly, I’m a bit stunned that anyone walked away from this movie with negative feelings. When I watched the film, I became lost in the characters. Bradley Cooper wasn’t the guy who voiced Rocket Raccoon in Guardians of the Galaxy or the guy from The Hangover movies; he was Chris Kyle. I believed it. He felt genuine. He reminded me of people I knew. From my point of view, his portrayal was outstanding. By the end of the film, I cared so much about his character that I was nearly brought to tears.

If there is one bad thing about this movie, it’s that it has a sad ending. Alas, that tragedy is reality, and that is one thing they could not escape. They may have changed some things from the book and taken some liberties with what really happened, but the end product is a story that is emotionally provocative and well worth seeing. I give it a five out of five metal bikinis and look forward to reading the book.

Reviewed By: Skuldren for Roqoo Depot.