American Sniper maybe a distortion of reality, but it will have you on the edge of your seat.

Rating: 8/10 (4 March 2015)

DISCLAIMER No matter what anybody says, American Sniper is still propaganda at its core really well-made propaganda. It is my personal belief that no one movie (or anything for that matter) should ever have a significant impact on your beliefs or values. For example, anyone who claims to be knowledgeable about JFK's assassination because they saw Oliver Stone's JFK should probably be ignored. Be smart and do your own research.
I'm going to review American Sniper solely based on its merits as a film, and nothing more.
SHORT REVIEW:
Clint Eastwood's direction is great as always (the film is incredibly realistic). Jason Hall's script suffers from a lot of pacing issues and weak character development. You'll really believe you're in the middle of battles as the editing and sound design are top-notch. Bradley Cooper is fine early on in the movie, but his performance gets better as his character's PTSD worsens.
VERDICT: See it in theatres if you can look pass the propaganda and blatant lies.
LONG REVIEW:
American Sniper will probably stand as one of the more memorable war films of this decade for years to come. Although this film is nowhere near the complexity and quality attributed to Letters from Iwo Jima (another Eastwood film), Eastwood still puts his best foot forward in recreating the streets of Iraq with as much intensity and realism as he did with the battlegrounds of Iwo Jima. Unfortunately, Hall's script prevents this film from reaching its prime as it suffers from severe pacing issues and weak character development for the supporting cast (even Sienna Miller's character seemed one dimensional). I also didn't like the fact that Hall played the 'child' card whenever he needed to raise the dramatic tension (although all these situations could have very well happened in real life) – it was just overdone and felt like a cheap trick after a while.
Despite this, I believe very few people will have any problems keeping track of the story's plot-points and who the central characters are. If there is one thing that Jason Hall can be applauded for, it would be the penultimate scene of this film.
Eastwood's regular team of collaborators (cinematographer Tom Stern, editors Joel Cox and Gary D. Roach, etc.) shows no shortage of effort in bringing their A-game to this film. As well, the sound department did an exceptional job in making me believe that the crew somehow managed to find a way to turn back time and shot the film as the Iraq War happening.
Bradley Cooper's performance as a young Chris Kyle eager to join the Iraq War is fine, but it gets progressively better as his character makes the rounds with each passing year. By the end, you no longer see an actor in combat gear – but instead, a father, husband, and soldier who has truly suffered the consequences of having participated in such a war. Although it would have been interesting to see another actor take on the role (Cooper wanted Chris Pratt), Cooper made a valiant effort in portraying Chris Kyle as a conflicted and sympathetic figure.