American Sniper Review

After a few directorial missteps, Clint Eastwood hits the mark with his gripping war drama American Sniper. I didn't know very much about the film's real-life subject when I went into the theater. But, this is the type of movie that compels you to go home afterwards and Google it just to learn more about it. The film tells a powerful story with a fantastic performance from Bradley Cooper at its heart. Because of this, American Sniper is able to overcome its narrative flaws. I personally think a Best Picture nomination is a bit of a stretch, but it certainly is an intense biopic that's worth seeing.

Eastwood's film is about Chris Kyle, a Navy SEAL and an expert military sniper that was credited with over 150 confirmed kills, the most in US history. This is no doubt a compelling subject. However, the movie is more about the effect that all these kills had on Kyle, as a husband, a father, and a member of society, than it is about Kyle accumulating these kills. This is why it is able to hold up against a lot of war-based movies that have been released recently. And the work done by Cooper is what makes it so effective.

His performance is surprisingly understated, but all the better for it. He doesn't have any generic outburst where he emotionally explodes on his family and friends. The changes to his personality are much more subtle after he returns from his tours in Iraq. However, that's what makes it so brilliant. As I previously mentioned, I don't think American Sniper is quite worthy of its Oscar nomination. That being said, Bradley Cooper's performance is. He probably won't win, but I'm glad he was recognized. Sienna Miller is also very good as Kyle's wife. We see the pain she goes through as she witnesses her husband's gradual decline. I'd say those two are the only compelling performers in the entire film. Everyone else feels disposable.

The action sequences are very well-shot by Mr. Eastwood. They succeed in making you feel as though you are a part of them, which is basically the highest praise I can give. There are also a handful of tense scenes that involve no action at all; Kyle often needs to make life-or-death decisions in a matter of seconds, sometimes choosing whether or not to shoot down a child that may or may not be holding a bomb or a rocket launcher. We start to see the toll that these choices take on him.

Where the film goes wrong in my mind is in its dramatic inconsistency, There are certain scenes that feel utterly superfluous, and as though they could have easily been left out of the final product. They have no real purpose in the grand scheme of things, and they felt to me like needless filler. As though Eastwood thought his film had to be a certain length and shot these scenes to reach that length. These scenes brought me out of the experience when they happened.

I also thought the first 15 or 20 minutes felt a little cliched. There was nothing about it that stuck out to me. Fortunately, American Sniper picks up considerably once Kyle ships off to Iraq. Up until that point, though, I was honestly bored.

A lot of criticism has stemmed from the film's lack of exploration of the controversial areas of Kyle's life. I personally did not view this as much of an issue. Eastwood looks at the character of Chris Kyle through a clear-eyed, unbiased lens.

The film is quite resonant by the end, mainly because the performance given by Cooper is so haunting in its nuances and mystery. As I said, I think American Sniper is definitely worth going to see, even if it doesn't entirely earn its Best Picture nomination. It's an exciting and well-made tribute to the most lethal sniper in US history. It's nice to see Eastwood making a really good film again. Hopefully it continues.

B+