American Sniper: My Quick Review In a vast entertainment universe overpopulated with fake superheroes, the real heroes are often overlooked. They go to real places and risk life and limb for the freedoms we take for granted. They fight real bad guys who shoot back—and it’s all, indeed, real. The story of Chris Kyle, the want-to-be Texas rodeo cowboy turned military legend, is the story of one of those heroes. I say this without apology. And, like me, American Sniper is unapologetic about its support of the American armed forces. After the 1998 bombings of American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, Kyle joins the Navy SEALs sniper training program. Later deployed to serve in Operation Iraqi Freedom, his legend grows over multiple combat tours. Many will no doubt say this is patriotic propaganda moviemaking. I disagree. Director Clint Eastwood doesn’t cut corners by always painting the “good guys” in a favorable light, nor does he sugarcoat the fact that battlefield decision-making is often gut-wrenchingly difficult and downright terrifying. The suspense is palpable and frightening. Neither I nor anyone can judge these men for having to literally make split-second, life-or-death decisions, and Eastwood chooses not to as well. The film is about the man more than anything, and Bradley Cooper inhabits the role of Chris Kyle—in both his harrowing combat-related struggles as well as his personal ones—with grace and respect. Because I hate lengthy reviews that spoil plot points and ruin the watching experience, I’ll leave it there. See it.
Posted on: Sat, 17 Jan 2015 00:55:49 +0000
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