Gripping, gruelling and gritty.

Rating: 9/10 (23 January 2015)

After his film version of Jersey Boys failed to light the world on fire last year, Clint Eastwood has wasted very little time getting back on the horse. Based on the true story of Chris Kyle, the most lethal sniper in U.S. history, Eastwood's latest is flush with heart-stopping action, nail-biting tension and dread-building drama. Clint has always excelled in presenting the dark corners of humanity – see Unforgiven, Changeling or Mystic River for proof – but at 84 years of age, it's astounding how grittily authentic he can portray a modern war. His long- time director of photography, Tom Stern, must get a large portion of the praise; his atmospheric cinematography and bold camera movements are the driving force behind the unnerving suspense that underpins the entire movie. It's also cleverly edited, utilising jump cuts to take you from warzone to home front in a split second, emphasising the sharpness of Kyle's emotional frustration when not on the battlefield. Which leads to Kyle himself. An everyday Texan who enjoys rodeo, loves his country and happens to be a crack shot, Kyle is likable, grounded and just the right side of patriotic and macho, thanks to a mesmerising turn from Bradley Cooper. Deservingly amongst the awards chatter, Cooper demonstrates how wide-ranging his talent is by adding yet another stellar performance to his C.V, placing him in the very highest echelon of actors working today. A gruelling, raw and wholly compelling peek at a niche military job: American Sniper is this year's Hurt Locker.