Review: American Sniper (2014) - A Powerful War Thriller

Rating: 9/10 (23 January 2015)

"You can only circle the flame so long."
From the opening frame, Clint Eastwood's American Sniper is a gripping Military Drama. The trailers and adverts for this film set me to expect merely a study of Chris Kyle's dual life as a loving father / American patriot "sheepdog," and it does function as that (exceptionally well), but what I wasn't anticipating was the superb war cinema that it became at points. The action sequences feel inspired. They are captured with an unrivaled attention to detail. The cameras and their positioning are tailored to depict gripping, no-holds-barred firefights and movement through the Iraqi battlefield. Bradley Cooper makes the incredible transformation into Chris Kyle, "The Devil of Ramadi," as Eastwood explores his anguished psyche during his time in both "The War on Terror" and stateside with his family between tours of duty.
Chris Kyle is a character that deserved to have his story told, and it is done lovingly, here, by Eastwood. I am ecstatic to say that Eastwood has made a triumphant return to directing after some arguable lulls in his directing career (Hereafter, J. Edgar, Jersey Boys). This film isn't just Oscar-bait- it succeeds on all proposed fronts, with the panache of a unabashed war film, and the intimacy of a film strictly identifying as a character study. A delicate balance executed surgically by the cast and crew.
The opening sequence is emotional and engaging, setting up the rest of the film more than adequately. A brief portion of the film near the beginning is spent in flashback, effectively and succinctly providing the motivations behind Chris Kyle's burden to become the legend he remains today. His relationship with his wife, Taya (played by Sienna Miller) is explored beautifully. From the first time they share the screen, and as they start a family with their varying circumstances looming overhead. Chris Kyle is torn between his responsibility to his family and his sense of duty to fight in the war overseas. He sees his passion to protect and help other people coupled with his skills with a rifle as almost a holy endowment.
The depiction of Kyle's Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and his disability to reconcile the effects of war while home from battle is done with heartbreaking authenticity. Most notably in a scene where he encounters a Marine he provided aid to whilst in one of his prior tours of duty. Bradley Cooper embodies this pain and frustration powerfully on screen. Most films fail to capture the baggage brought home by soldiers the way that American Sniper does so exquisitely. This film is a success; a masterful piece by director Clint Eastwood, and a great show of skill from Bradley Cooper, who is, with every role, proving his expansive diversity in acting.