"American Sniper" Review

                                   

    

Clint Eastwood directs American Sniper, a film that explores the true story of Chris Kyle, the most lethal sniper in U.S. Military history. The story is undeniably intriguing & Cooper gives one of his better performances though I don't believe he deserves his Oscar nomination over Jake Gyllenhaal for Nightcrawler or David Oyelowo for Selma.

I appreciate the fact that the violence here isn't sanitized, allowing the audience to really experience the toll each tour of duty takes on Kyle's psyche.

A sense of jingoism typically permeates any American-made war film. Eastwood lays it on a bit too thick here, but it makes sense in the context of Kyle's down-home character. It paints a rare picture of the mentality of some of our soldiers, especially in this post-9/11 scenario. 

After Chris's second tour, the film starts to slog. The listed run time of 2 hours and 12 minutes feels almost like 4 hours and 12 minutes. Seeing Chris evolve for the worse as a result of the war makes him a compelling character to watch, but it's exhausting to see him endure hardship during combat and then, over and over again, come home to a family at its breaking point as a result of his absence. There's no emotional relief or sense of humor to anything about this film. 

One could hear a pin drop as the audience left the theater after our screening. Lots of emotional intensity at play here.

I'm not sure anyone would say this doesn't deserve its Academy Award nomination for Best Picture, but don't be surprised if American Sniper comes away on Oscar night empty handed.

B