A Powerful And Painful Film. Excellently acted and done by all. Not a light film nor a traditional "war movie." This is well worth watching.

Rating: 10/10 (20 January 2015)

Just saw "American Sniper."
I FULLY understand why so many on the Left are coming unglued about the film and hate it so much. Chris Kyle - and all the others like him - are men they simply can not understand. The gulf between their world views is too great a chasm for them to even grasp it. So, of course, they can only hate that. And hate it they do.
The film is not light. It is very much unlike any "typical war film." Nor does it have absolutely anything to say about the politics of the war or about any of the other bigger issues surrounding it. That in and of itself means that the Left can only despise the film. Everything for them has to have a MESSAGE - and one that they approve of.
The focus of this was on the men - and women - who weren't oblivious to the war and were, instead, brutally affected by it by being in it. In it in one way or another. That was painful, damn painful, to sit through. And it was exquisitely well done.
Bradley Cooper was stunning to watch in his portrayal of Kyle. No stereotypes, no cardboard cutout characters there. The war's effect on him and his family - also very well done by Sienna Miller - was part of that painfulness, and rightly so.
I've sat through other Eastwood dramas -"Million Dollar Baby" being the closest of such to this - and that one, in particular, hurt to watch, at times. But not like this one.
The theater wasn't packed but for a 7PM showing on a Tuesday night, out in the suburbs, it was very well attended. And as a measure of just how powerful the film was the audience was as quiet and somber leaving the theater as I've ever experienced.
We go to movies to be entertained. Even "tear jerker" movies are entertainment and most people will get up from their seats after watching those with plenty to say and express. There's chatter about what they just went through. And they quickly get back to thinking and talking about the rest of their lives once the lights come back up. Not this time. The audience was damn near silent.
This is a powerful film. And a painful one. It is well worth experiencing however. This is about the most moving film I've ever watched. This is not a "date flick" and nor is it anything to try and take in thinking its affect will be over once the credits stopped rolling. That said, it is definitely worth going to yourself. I recommend it highly.﻿