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Clint Eastwood is still in top form.
A-On one level, Clint Eastwood‘s American Sniper is an excellent action film, with set pieces that are far superior to those in recent junk like Taken 3 and Blackhat. More than that, however, it’s a surprisingly thoughtful and powerful drama that’s easily one of the best movies of the year.
Oscar-nominated Bradley Cooper stars in American Sniper as Chris Kyle, a Navy SEAL whose marksmanship skills make him the most celebrated sniper in Iraq. Kyle protects the U.S. troops in the field by keeping a constant eye out for hostile Iraqis. Anyone he sees, including women and children could easily throw a grenade or set off a suicide bomb unless Kyle stops them first. Although he gets through the war physically unscathed, the growing mental pressures he faces take their toll, on Kyle and his wife (Sienna Miller) and family.
The war in Iraq, in which U.S. troops were frequently targeted by civilians in urban areas that provided lots of cover, was unlike anything else in our history, and Eastwood perfectly captures the uncertainty and danger our troops faced, in scenes that are often incredibly suspenseful. Although American Sniper takes some liberties with Chris Kyle’s life story, viewers see what made him effective and admired by his fellow soldiers. Thanks to Bradley Cooper’s remarkably subtle performance, we also see how he was affected by the strain. Kyle doesn’t snap or go nuts; he’s just not there, especially for his family, a good bit of the time. Clint Eastwood, at age 84, knows about combat, having fought in Korea. In American Sniper, he and Bradley Cooper bring combat, and its aftermath home to a new generation of filmgoers.
Continue reading on American Sniper: Mini-Review
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