Bradley Cooper stars as Kyle, who has gone down in history as the sniper with the most enemy kills ever. A Navy SEAL with an amazing sense of duty, country and selflessness. This movie is based on Kyles book, and the recollections of his widow, Taya. Yes, this is the story of an American hero, but it does tell the entire story, as Kyle is a hero, and incredibly flawed all at the same time.
In this new era of war setting movies, this is on par with The Hurt Locker (Oscar winner Best Picture), and Zero Dark Thirty (Oscar nominated Best Picture). These incredible movies have all been set in the war in the Middle East, but they really are more the stories of the people and how the war effects them, their families and eventually all of us. All of these movies are amazing, and this one is a step above even them.
Kyle is from Texas, and he joins the military late in life compared to most. He becomes a SEAL, and eventually an amazingly skilled sniper that protects Marines on the streets of Iraq, as they go from house to house looking for wanted terrorists. He registers over 160 kills, and earns the title of "Legend." He becomes the most wanted man in Iraq by the terrorists who know of his prowess. But all of this is not without a price. Clearly Kyle is a sufferer of PTSD, as he has a very difficult time blending back in with his wife, life and young children.
His sense of duty is so strong, he needs to find another way to help in the fight, even after his days in the service are over. But how? Also, can he save his marriage, and his family, and is he a danger to himself or others. These are the questions of American Sniper.
Cooper is fantastic in his performance, and should win the Oscar for this. This is a large role, where he really became Kyle. He gained 40 pounds to look like him, and he does. Cooper spent much time with Kyles widow, learning all he could about Kyle, and brings him to life in an uncanny fashion. The performance is authentic, and real and about as good as any one person in any role in recent memory.
Eastwood's direction is superb as this movie looks great, tells a hard-to-tell story. The backdrops are spot on, and everyone looks incredibly comfortable in this movie. The casting is perfect from start to finish. This is violent but not overly so, as it deals with men under immense pressure in battle and out. This is dramatic, exciting, compelling and downright great. American Sniper does not glorify the war, or demonize anyone.
It shows the war through the eyes of Kyle and the way he saw it. It shows that war is not always what we think it is. Eastwood humanizes war here through the incredibly well defined characters much as he did when he directed and won the Oscar for Best Picture for Unforgiven 20 some years ago. He showed us then The Old West was not glorified, but an ugly tough place and broke the mold on westerns forever. And the same goes here with war. It also shows part of what these guys do that none of us can even imagine, and there's guys doing it right now as we read and write this.
American Sniper. Brilliantly told, filmed, written and acted. This is the best movie of 2014.
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