American Sniper

Clint Eastwood, the director of American Sniper, did it again.  He filmed a stellar cast in a remarkable tale about an American war hero.

The title of the film might not appeal to all viewers.  For those involved in guns and shooting, perhaps the title might grab.  For others, it might do quite the opposite!  Do most folks care about a guy who went to war and killed the enemy with mile long sniper shots?

Perhaps.  But the film transcends the title.  It is the story of a young man who, raised by a father who instilled tough American values, stands proudly to defend the American Way.  He is a hero, a very brave man, who voluntarily leaves wife and family to go to Iraq to fight a war that is dirty, ugly, and gritty.

What fascinates about this film is not the soldier's bravery or uncanny ability to shoot.  What truly captivates the viewer is how hard it is for a man to go to war and then come home to spouse and kids. So many veterans go abroad and do things that soldiers have to do in war.  When they return, they find it nearly impossible to get over the images that haunt them and the violence that kept them alive.

Our hearts go out to soldiers like Chris Kyle who go abroad and fight.  They become brutalized by war, and in a world where it's kill or be killed, they learn to survive.  They often have to do things that are unthinkable in a non-war setting.  Then, when they are done, they have to figure out how to be civilized husbands and fathers again, kind and gentle, caring and loving, sweet and non-violent.  

The main actor, Brad Cooper, is brilliant as the war-torn soldier.  He already dazzled in a prior film, Silver Lining Playbook. There, opposite Jennifer Lawrence, he played to perfection the confused, slow to grow up, slow to fall in love, young man who lives at home with mom and dad.  Cooper is even better as the sniper.  Watch him act and be amazed.

His love interest, Sienna Miller, is good to a point.  Then, in this viewer's opinion, she over-emotes and does not quite convince us.  But that is for you to determine.  The support cast of little known actors is strong and effective.

Clint Eastwood continues to do original and brilliant work in Hollywood.  His western, The Unforgiven, still stands out in my mind as an extraordinary revisionist look at the wild west hero, or anti-hero, as the case may be.

One sad irony:  The real hero, who survived four tours of duty and very close calls, lost his life at the hands of a crazed vet here at home.

American Sniper is a solid film, entertaining, gripping, and enlightening.