An American Sniper

Rating: 8/10 (21 January 2015)

Clint Eastwood is a patriotic man. Whether he's politically involved with social issues, making films like Heartbreak Ridge and Flags of Our Fathers, or condescending to an empty chair in front of a crowd, Clint has shown his love for this country. His film, American Sniper, shows his love for an individual who deserves much more recognition than some talentless celebrity with a fat ass (take your pick). Though based on a book, Eastwood honours Chris Kyle's memory by making a good film that doesn't teeter-totter with political b.s. This movie has an almost claustrophobic feel to it, in that the camera is close to Bradley Cooper's (The A-Team) face for a lot of the film. What works with that perspective, is that you can see the emotional toll that it takes on Cooper as he disconnects more and more throughout this movie. Cooper does it right. Long before the film is over, you forget that you're watching the jerk from The Wedding Crashers, and you see more than just a character on the screen. His wife in the film, played by Sienna Miller (G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra), is the only other actor in the film worth mentioning. Because of the constant focus on Cooper, everyone else in the film has only bits and pieces, including Miller. But what time she does have is a believable performance that makes you feel for her character. When she and Cooper are on screen together, everything falls into a warm, comfortable place, even when they're fighting.
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