"American Sniper" Review

In 2009, if you had introduced the charming teacher from The Hangover as three time "Academy Award Nominee Bradley Cooper", I would have laughed profusely. Then again, let's consider that Jonah Hill has had more nominations than Gary Oldman ever has. But that's not to say either one hasn't earned it, it's just something my younger self could have never seen coming. Let's stick to Cooper.

The true story of Chris Kyle takes place in the aftermath of September 11th. He is considered the deadliest sniper in American history whilst serving in Iraq. However, his obsession with serving his country causes a rift between him and his wife, as he keeps going on tour after tour.

The modern war film has been an interesting one to see grow. From The Hurt Locker to Lone Survivor, it's come to showcase the morality of war and how it can weigh on the soul of the soldier. American Sniper is no exception. The most intense scene comes from one of Kyle's decisions in the field and how he will come to terms with it. He does what he has to in order to fulfill his duty, but comes to grips by telling his comrade to "Shut the fuck up" about what has transpired. It's captured the proper tone to not glorify war, not completely condemn it, but to just show it in an honest fashion. Kudos, Clint Eastwood. This is a step above Jersey Boys.

Yet, I do find some fault in the film. It unfortunately doesn't establish the right amount of narrative for us to really fell the ramifications. For example, when something occurs to a side character, we don't exactly feel the amount of weight that we probably be should since we haven't actually spent a lot of time with him. It doesn't really give us what we need to empathize completely with Chris Kyle's pain.  Not a major complaint, and nothing that takes me out of the experience, but it would have made it deeper if some of the smaller characters were a little more developed.

Bradley Cooper has shown us a great amount of range in the past few years. This is thus far his finest hour. He immerses into the mind of Chris Kyle to give us a monumental portrait of a man who was not perfect, but was heroic in his pursuits. Whilst his intentions aren't always clear, he brings us for the ride with his commitment and it's quite noble that how he wholeheartedly sought to honor this Navy Seal's legacy.

American Sniper isn't perfect. But it's earned the high praise. Clint Eastwood and Bradley Cooper have given us a great film, even if it isn't as developed as I had hoped.

A-