Worth A Watch, But Not The Hype

Rating: 6/10 (13 February 2015)

In brief the story is based on truth. An idyllic American patriot, personified in what is now an American legend. Chris Kyle played by Bradley Cooper is that living legend, a slightly lost American man whose heart strings were slightly more than tugged on that fatal day, September 11 2001. We see him watch the tragic event unfold like millions of others all over the world on the television. And it is that ammunition that fires him into joining the seals and serving tours of Iraq. Becoming hell bent on killing as many 'enemy' soldiers as possible. Which is what drove him to fame, his kill count soon became the largest in American history.
The story briefly, but only briefly touches on the tragedies of war and the true victims. Which is the local people living under a regime that makes them fear for their life. But the only time that we get to witness this is when an Iraqi father and son are forced into helping the American soldiers, which consequently leads to their public brutal murder. We see Iraqi women helping such murderers and an Iraqi child trying to pick up a bazooka to blow up and American tank. Which when thought over, shows the inherent hate these people have for foreign invaders. However, I don't think we are supposed to sympathise with them. You don't have your natural war cliché characters which is good news. Usually you have to waste your attention on a gun hoe loon and a completely irrelevant comedic character during popcorn war films. Although in regards to the cinematography, the film doesn't quite know where it sits. With shaky hand held cameras, to sophisticated birds eye views, to a heavy usage of CGI. A strange cross between Green Zone, which is your typical 'popcorn' war film and Hurt Locker, which was a far rougher, grittier interpretation.
The problem with keeping the storyline so strict to the truth is the film is spread over a time span of 15 years. Which is quite a long time to follow someone who's changing quite rapidly. And it is because of that I never really felt connected to the character. Even as a non American it was obvious that he had a good heart and intentions. But I am someone who looks into the more politically motivated scenes behind the war. Understanding that there isn't necessarily 'baddies' and 'goodies'. Either way we are quite quickly told that the Iraqis are the 'baddies' and American's are the 'goodies'.
Cooper is very much in the limelight of recent years. After his success in The Hangover he has done well to shake off that comedic typecast. (Silver Linings Play Book, American Hustle, Limitless). However, and I'm no Texan but I can tell when Coopers accent fails him, and it does a few times throughout the movie. Saying that he fitted the bill very well, nothing outstanding but a likable and realistic portrayal.
I wonder and fear for the films intentions. It seems very much like a film that interprets war as a game. Kill counts were at the start of most conversations between soldiers. All boasting that Kyle was a 'legend' for so many kills and many wishing they were just like him. The movie certainly glorifies killing in the name of your country. 'Country, god, family' is a line that made me cringe. But overall, Kyle is distant from his wife, children and home life. His lack of mental stability when trying to integrate back into civilian life hardly depicts a model father or husband. I only hope that those with a smaller attention span would have waited around to see the end and not run out to enlist.