The story of a US Navy SEAL's four tours in the Iraq War, and his days on the home-front in between.

Rating: 9/10 (18 January 2015)

United States Marines breach the doors of a neighborhood, and he's there on over-watch. On his very first tour in Iraq, Chris Kyle has been tasked with surveillance and protecting the men on the ground. As the Marines continue to bust down doors and clearing houses, a son and his mother appear in a doorway. The two people seem inconspicuous, but when the woman removes a Russian grenade from underneath her clothes and hands it to her young son, her status as a potential threat is definitely affirmed. Chris is hesitant, and we understand why. How can he kill a young boy and a woman? In a split-second decision, he assures himself of the need for the trigger to be pulled, and he takes the shot. Growing up, Chris always wanted to be a cowboy. He went hunting with his father, fought off the bullies that tormented his little brother, and he rode broncos for a while. But after realizing the need for a brave man like him to be in the dangerous streets of Iraq, he signs up as a SEAL. After the rigorous training, he graduates from his class, and he meets someone. Her quick wit and initial dismissive attitude towards Chris is harsh. "My sister was engaged to a SEAL once, so I've got you figured out." Apparently Chris was the exception to her preconception, and they were married soon after. Once Chris finally deploys, he is an instant asset to the forces in Iraq. Quickly acquiring the label "Legend" by his teammates, Chris is the hottest shot in Iraq, and he realizes the need that his fellow soldiers have for him. After each stint back at home, he is becoming less and less able to adjust back to civilian life, and he repeatedly returns to the battlefield. He's not bloodthirsty, he just feels like his duty is to protect his friends. With the enemy still running rampant through the area, Chris has to choose between the men on the ground and his family back home.
About 2 years ago, I was in search of a book to read for my vacation, and I stumbled upon this book. It seemed interesting, and I've always had a strange fascination with snipers, so I thought it would be a good read. Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed the book, which is written in the words of the real-life SEAL, and the announcement that a film adaptation was being made excited me. As a movie, I found the story of Chris Kyle to be just about an exact replica of what I had imagined as I flipped the pages of the autobiography. Director Clint Eastwood's version of this story is well- thought out, and it doesn't glorify the war, it just tells a story. Though it does obviously show some of the 160+ confirmed kills that are marked on Kyle's file, it doesn't make it all about the violence. A large part of the movie focuses on how the distance between Chris and his family tears him apart, and how he has to cope with the tragedies that come with war. Nominated for Best Picture, American Sniper is most likely going to be drowned out by the success of Oscar front-runners like Boyhood, Birdman, and The Imitation Game. I attribute this prediction to the fact that the conflicts in the Middle East are unpopular the minds of some, and this may deter the views of numerous voters. In my opinion, however, I've found this film to be very worthy of its nomination, and it is a shame that it will probably go unnoticed in this category. Much of the success that this movie has achieved can be attributed to the brilliant performance by Bradley Cooper as Chris. Cooper's portrayal of Chris covers each aspect of the character perfectly, and he captures the essence of the hardships that Chris faced throughout his life. Not to my surprise, Cooper has been nominated for a Best Actor award in the 2015 Academy Awards this year, which is the third in his career. Based on what I have read and heard from various sources, I unfortunately do not think that the third time will be the charm for the actor. With highly lauded performances by both Michael Keaton (Birdman) and Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything) this year, I fear that Cooper's great effort will not end with an Oscar win. Outside of the acting, the action was quite good. In contrast to the blood-heavy approach by other war films, this movie prefers to show only what is necessary for the proper effect of the violence. Another part of the action that I appreciated was the realistic idea that not every shot is a kill, and not every sniper kill is a head-shot.
I recommend this to anyone who appreciates the man that saved an uncountable amount of lives, and also someone who obviously doesn't mind the violence and language that go along with a rated R war flick.