Clint has done it again

Rating: 9/10 (23 January 2015)

AS is just another great film in a long line of great ones directed by our Clint, with the exception of Bloodwork. Again based on a true story, another post war, middle eastern tale, that starts a bit before 9/11, Bradley Cooper in the performance of his career, plays real like sniper, Chris Kyle, who at the start, is forced to make an impossible decision, to take a little boy bearing a grenade. We follow Chris's story, where he meets his wife, then is called back again tour after tour, to take down the bad guys, linked to of course, the main monster/asshole who, is gladly six feet under. Watching this film again, reminded of me of just how much I hate terrorists. AS too, isn't as bloody as you expect it to be too. It holds back, violence quite minimal. Kyle had visited a lot of the injured soldiers too who became amputees, paraplegics, giving them refresher courses on shooting. In it's starting, for a moment, I thought I wasn't watching Cooper. He's that good. Also first meeting Chris Kyle, we don't warm to him, when his then girlfriend gets involved in altercation, before she is sent packing her bags. In fact, I found him obnoxious. Near the end of the movie, where Cooper finally decides to quit touring, his mental state kind of breaks, where his iron fisted resilience keeps him in check. I thought that may'be there could a little bit more light thrown onto his mental state. But again this pic is up there with other true story anti terror tales, where Cooper's explosive performance is unforgettable, from an actor who just gets better. Sienna Miller, perfectly cast is very strong and sexy as his wife. Of course the actors are always better looking than the people they betray. This is one of the great films to start off the year, with some moments so intense, they're gold.