Review of the movie, not of any realities or politics surrounding it.

Rating: 7/10 (1 April 2017)

This is a movie about Chris Kyle, a sniper and a navy SEAL, famous for ridiculous amounts of confirmed kills. "American Sniper" is based on Kyle's own autobiography. And that is all this movie is. Some things are bound to be more dramatized for the movie for narrative's sake, some things probably left out for the same reason, and it certainly isn't preaching about politics. It's the first war movie for a long time where ham-fisted political commentary is not present. So I take it for what it is, instead of whining about what it isn't.
"American Sniper" is a thoroughly well-executed movie. It's confidently directed, well-shot, well-paced and well-acted. It works. It never fully reaches its potential, but then again it's never bad.
This story isn't told in "acts", but "tours" instead. Build-up at the beginning doesn't waste any time, and after that we get so see the four tours in order. After every tour, the main character Kyle (Bradley Cooper) spends time at home, finding it difficult. Every tour gets easier for Kyle in the battle with his brothers in arms, but harder at home with his wife and children. This flow or the narrative works surprisingly well.
There is a simplistic "rivalry" going on throughout the film. It feels like some old-fashioned revenge-based action movie at times, where the main character just has to beat the "final boss". I can't say I hate it, since it tightens the movie at some level, but I can't say I love it either. Anyway it's there, it works, but I can't help but feel the artificial nature of it. I wasn't there (in Iraq) though, so I can't complain about it any more than that, nor can I pretend to know what really happened.
There is a sense of PTSD awareness in this film, and I applaud "American Sniper" for that. But herein lies the biggest disappointment: it's not examined nearly enough. For the movie to strike that really powerful chord, PTSD in all its ugly glory should've been more of a focus and dramatized. We get plenty of hints and good, subtle moments, but never the scene that really pays off. Then again, this might have been the case with the book too, I don't know.
Cooper is very good, and gives a somewhat subdued performance. Everyone else is at least okay, even though sometimes the other characters might come across as cardboard cutouts. Sienna Miller is good as Kyle's wife, even though her role is just that and not much else, and Keir O'Donnell equally good as Kyle's brother with his limited screen time.
And even though Cooper is good, I would've wanted to know the character better. There is a certain disconnect, I'm not entirely sure what he's about. Perhaps the book didn't paint that picture either - and autobiographies can't always be trusted if that was or wasn't the case - but I would've liked to care more. When the movie isn't about the war itself, it's important to fully flesh out the character. I understood the character, that wasn't the problem, but I wanted the movie to go so much deeper. It didn't.
It's a Clint Eastwood movie, so don't be surprised if you're not being preached to. Many people seem to take this movie as jingoistic preaching though, simply because it refuses to put down the troops and also because it doesn't shove a political message in your face like every other war movie nowadays. Perhaps it's not politically correct, and perhaps it only deals with the book, not with all realities and events that might have taken place. There is some patriotism involved, which in itself should not be a bad thing. I do not hold these things against this movie, and I certainly don't expect movies to educate me or pander to me. I expect them to tell a story from whatever viewpoints they choose, and if something gets me interested, then I will find out more and do my own research.
To summarize, "American Sniper" is a good movie. It doesn't reach the heights of a great movie because there is a certain disconnect concerning the lead character, and the PTSD elements aren't dramatized enough to my liking. But as it stands, it is good. If you are a person who pukes at the sight of patriotism, then you might not like it. If you are a person who demands sensitive subjects handled from all viewpoints and politically dissected whenever possible, this might not be for you. For everyone else, I recommend this movie. Take it as it is: as an adaptation of an autobiography, adapted by people who know their craft.