American Sniper

Chris Kyle was the most lethal sniper in the U.S. military history. He apparently killed more than 250 Iraqui insurgents, though the Pentagon only credited him around 160, which nevertheless made him a legend of the U.S. Army. I started to read the book last year but stopped doing it since I first heard about the project. Eastwood and Cooper on board, that is promising. And of course they both deliver, and "American Sniper" is dense and blunt, quite like a shot.

Cooper plays Chris Kyle, the ultimate "American": religious, patriot and uncompromising in his convictions. He is a noble and honest man regarding every aspect of his life, and that is something to respect. Cooper already played a soldier in "The A-Team" remake (Joe Carnahan, 2010), and it seems that he showed great abilities in the military stunts, and showed interest in the work of the army. He bulked up 20 kg and went through a really tough training, including Navy SEAL sniper sessions. Sienna Miller plays his wife Taya, who suffered the effects of war on his husband, despite his strong belief and determination. Her unconditional love was a massive support for Kyle.

Eastwood has made an intense and heartfelt film, one of his trademarks, absent shows and unnecessary politics or philosophy. This is obviously the classic "American" patriotic film, but it differs from others in the approach of the man, who is an instrument to a purpose, yet a human being totally aware of what he does.

Bottom line, this film is almost perfect in many aspects, and the only thing that does not hook me is how much it reminds me to "The Hurt Locker" (Kathryn Bigelow, 2008). That was way more focused on the adrenaline addiction the main character had, but the behavior of both characters after tours seemed to me pretty alike.

I was very intrigued with the trailer, mesmerized to say the least. The movie was another thing.

When I was the USA I met this Chris, he was no hero. Just a guy with a rifle and a sense that he was right.

For most of the patriots there is no room for the idea that Kyle might have been a good soldier but a bad guy; ()or a mediocre guy doing a difficult job badly; ()or a complex guy in a bad war who convinced himself he loved killing to cope with an impossible situation; ()or a straight-up serial killer exploiting an oppressive system that, yes, also employs lots of well-meaning, often impoverished, non-serial-killer people to do oppressive things over which they have no control.

()Or that Iraqis might be fully realised human beings with complex inner lives who find joy in food and sunshine and family, and anguish in the murders of their children.

()Or that you can support your country while thinking critically about its actions and its citizenry.

I'm even surprised to see that people vote it "Best of"...

Well what do I know, I'm just an European.

Clint did this instead of Spielberg apparently.

Compared to Clints' superb Gran Torino why the horrible empty feeling after watching this.

Film wise great set pieces, sound and action. Also graphically depicts from a single sided point of view anyway, the horror of modern warfare.

Directorially it has plenty of set piece sequences seemingly from video games such as endless spawning enemies to be machine gunned / sniped from various angles.

Cooper & Miller do their bits admirably as cut scene fillers but did we care? Iraqis were "savages". 150 confirmed deaths presented as a game score. Funnily enough the most prominent death: that of our protagonist gets no time at all.

This could / should have been the Deer Hunter of our time but didn't even deliver the Post Traumatic War syndrome message meaningfully.

I spent 27 years in the US Army, was in Operation Desert Storm (the original), was vehemently opposed to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and thought this movie was one of the best military/war movies I've ever seen. The realism was there, Bradley Cooper was phenomenal, the angst of a soldier during battle was portrayed brilliantly, the decisions we ask kids to make are real and they were realistically shown on screen, and as this film makes clear--war isn't a walk in the park. Anybody who thinks Bradley Cooper is a flash in the pan is sadly mistaken; this guy is the real thing. Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now, Charlie Sheen in Platoon, and now Bradley Cooper in American Sniper. You've got to go all the way back to Gregory Peck in Pork Chop Hill or George C. Scott in Patton to get even close to an actor that gave a better performance in this genre. I saw it twice. Couldn't get through it the first time and had to walk out- -I got so damned furious at George Bush, Dick Cheney, and Donald Rumsfeld for murdering all these innocent kids I couldn't watch anymore. Once I got past that I went back to see it again and trust me--it's phenomenal.

Good work on Bradley Cooper's part as well, putting on the weight and getting into character to play Chris Kyle, a sniper for the navy seals who did four tours in Iraq protecting his fellow troops by being a legendary shot. the Movie explores Kyle having to deal with a rival sniper who was keeping him from doing the job of protecting his troops and having to deal with coming home to his wife and kids feeling that his mission was incomplete.

Old man Eastwood mixed action, drama and humor in a way only a legendary filmmaker could put together. The man still has the ability to tell a compelling story.

Bradley Cooper showed a range that is more Oscar worthy than what he did in Silver Linings Playbook.

It was nothing but enjoyable from beginning to end. Worth watching.