There are heroes we don’t know about. Those that work in the shadows, atop the tall buildings in foreign lands keeping us safe and secure. I’m not talking about Batman, but nonfiction heroes; the ones who we thank in general when thanking all the branches of the military for their service. One of the biggest during our campaign in the Middle East was the “Devil of Ramadi”, also known as Chris Kyle.
Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) is your typical red-blooded American who hurt his arm after a bull riding accident and decided to enlist. He was initially rejected, but then told to try out for the Navy SEALS, where he would become a legendary sniper in SEAL Team 3. This all happened before the attacks on September 11, when everything changed. Kyle struggled with every kill, especially the ones that involved him having to shoot down women and children. The stress and mental anguish of his decisions stayed with him even in between tours, even when he was around his recent wife Taya (Sienna Miller). In the Iraqi War, he was affectionately dubbed the “Devil of Ramadi” and a huge bounty was placed on his head by the Insurgents. There to collect the bounty was equally infamous enemy sharpshooter Mustafa (Sammy Sheik), who developed a sort of bloody rivalry with Kyle. Now with a child and a pregnant wife at home, he is feeling the pull of a wife who wants him home and a country who needs him. He had a “no man left behind” mantra, so naturally his decision was an easy one.
A remarkable man receives a fairly unremarkable treatment. Clint Eastwood shows us he can still churn out a good war film, but misses the mark on making it a truly great one. His cinematic hand is usually a deft one with great attention to detail, but this time around he takes a laxer approach, and I’m not just talking about the hilariously awful scenes with a clearly imitation-infant during an emotionally climactic moment. Eastwood plays to his cinematic strengths, which work to make it his best film in years, but not enough to make it stand out. His use of common techniques used in war films just come off as cliches that make the pacing slow at times and beyond predictable. The standout moment in the film is the final firefight during a sandstorm, but aside from that, it’s all strictly by the books.
American Sniper is less focused on having the audience understand the enemy than narrowly focusing on the war hero Kyle. This makes every other character aside from Kyle come off as flat and bland. You don’t understand their motivation or even the greater motivation behind the war. The only good thing that comes from this is that Bradley Cooper is given all of the spotlight, and it shows us just how much he can shine. In fact, he pretty much single-handedly carries this film with his sharp and precise performance.
During the holidays, even during a time of peace, we forget that there are still wars going on here at home. Even though soldiers like Chris Kyle weren’t on a tour, they were still battling their enemies at home. For many veterans, the war has been long over, but American Sniper reminds us that their battles are still continuing. The great thing with this film is that while it’s uplifting, and at times triumphant, it also doesn’t fall into the typical holiday happy ending. He died serving his country, but not in the way you would think.
Even with American Sniper‘s narrow scope, it is still able to mostly hit its mark, with a little guidance from Clint Eastwood, but mostly with the skillful hand of Bradley Cooper. Part tense war film, part biopic, this film will educate you on who Chris Kyle was and what made him so important. If you expect more than that, then be ready to be disappointed.
RATING: ★★★★★★(6/10 stars)
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