American Sniper

American Sniper

Starring Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Keir O'Donnell, Brando Eaton

Directed by Clint Eastwood

Synopsis:
"American Sniper" tells the real-life story of Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper), who wanted to be a cowboy, but felt a strong love of country drive him to be a Navy SEAL instead.  While in the SEALS he falls in love and marries Taya (Sienna Miller), and through his four tours of duty, he becomes the most lethal sniper in American military history with over 160 confirmed kills.  As he returns home, he has to learn how to deal with suburban life, his wife, and his two young children.

Review:
This was one of the films I've been dying to see for a while, and I surely wasn't disappointed.  Clint Eastwood directed another blockbuster hit, which isn't just well-received by moviegoers but critics as well, earning 6 Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and Best Actor.

The true story of Chris Kyle is more than just a sniper who defended his country, but it's about what happens when the soldier comes home, and how he deals with obvious PTSD, something real military men and women suffer as well.  The life-and-death decisions he had to make on the field affected his mental state and his relationship with his wife, but they were able to work through the issues and regain a sense of normalcy after his final tour.

Kyle is one of those rare American heroes who selflessly gave his time and his own body to protect Americans, and it was a story that needed to be told.  This is easily Bradley Cooper's finest performance, as he literally transformed into Chris Kyle during the film, where you didn't even know you were watching Bradley Cooper act.  In interviews he said he wanted to bring justice to Kyle and to do that he wanted people to believe he was Kyle, and it worked brilliantly.

I had the privilege to see the film with a friend of mine who was also in the military, and there was a bunch of older men in the theater as well who served our country selflessly, and it was a once in a lifetime thing to see grown, war-weary men crying at the end, and it definitely brought tears to my eyes as well.  

It may not win any awards, but it clearly won the hearts of America, and that's much more lasting.

Summary:
A rare cinematic experience filled with edge-of-your seat action, but also at its heart a true story of a man who served his country, loved his family, and gave everything of himself.

My Rating: A+