Good Film

Rating: 7/10 (10 January 2015)

Bradley Cooper stars as Chris Kyle, the most prolific sniper in American military history. It begins with the thirty year old Kyle as a cowboy type who is searching for meaning in his life when he becomes a navy seal. After rigorous training he is sent to Iraq and becomes a legendary sniper. The war scenes look very similar to Stanley Kubrick's often used ones in Full Metal Jacket. The camera tracks from behind the soldiers as they move forward. The action is fast paced and well done by director Clint Eastwood. The melodramatic family moments are fairly typical, with the suffering wife holding the home front while hubby keeps the world safe for democracy. I found Sierra Miller annoying as Kyle's spouse, but Cooper was cast right in the lead role. Although a bit too long at two hours and fifteen minutes, it is still one of the better films of 2014.