American Sniper - Hits the TARGET but misses the BULLS EYE!

American Sniper - Hits the TARGET but misses the BULLS EYE!

Cast: Bradley Cooper - Chris Kyle, Kyle Gallner - Goat-Winston, Cole Konis - Young Chris Kyle, Ben Reed - Wayne Kyle, Elise Roberts - Debbie Kyle, Luke Sunshine - Young Jeff Kyle, Troy Vincent - Pastor & many others.....

& the crew: Direction - Clint Eastwood, D.O.P - Tom Stern, Editing - Joel Cox & Gary Roach, Art - Harry E. Otto & Dean Wolcott

Producers - Bradley Cooper, Clint Eastwood, Jason Hall, Sheroum Kim, Andrew Lazar, Robert Lorenz, & Pete Morgan

Jessica Meier - associate producer

Tim Moore & Bruce Berman - executive producers

Zakaria Alaoui - line producer: Morocco

Clint Eastwood the iconic star as dirty Harry (Inspector Callahan) at the age 84 directing a film like this is by itself is a feat! Probably very few directors can match this man's zeal and passion for directing a number of good & not so good films year after year. 

Truly a remarkable achievement indeed! Truly one of Hollywood's 'Never can Forget Legend". From his first film 'Play Misty for me' (1971) on to the current 'American Sniper' (2014) he has directed almost 3 dozen films! WOW factor 10/10! In most of these films he has played the lead role too! From his first film 'Play Misty for me' (1971) on to the current 'American Sniper' (2014) he has directed almost 3 dozen films! WOW factor 10/10! In most of these films he has played the lead role too!

Premise

The film is all about Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It's based on a true character Chris Kyle who was nothing more than a Texan man who wanted to become a cowboy, but in his thirties he found out that maybe his life needed something different, something where he could express his real talent, something that could help America in its fight against terrorism. So he joins the SEALs in order to become a sniper. After marrying, Kyle and the other members of the team are called for their first tour of Iraq. Kyle's struggle isn't with his missions, but about his relationship with the reality of the war and, once returned at home, how he manages to handle it with his urban life, his wife, kids and a kid brother who idolizes him as a larger than life hero. 

Director Clint Eastwood's adaptation from a book by the late Chris Kyle, "American Sniper," has Bradley Cooper starring as Chris Kyle, the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history. But there was a larger story behind this true American hero than his skill with a rifle. U.S. Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle is sent to Iraq with only one mission: to protect his brothers-in-arms. His deadly and accurate marksmanship saves countless lives on the battlefield. The stories of his courageous exploits spreads all over America earning him the nickname "Legend." However, his reputation is also growing behind enemy lines, putting a price on his head and making him a prime target of insurgents. Despite the danger while at war, his relationship with his family at home takes a beating. Chris completes four harrowing tours of duty in Iraq, becoming emblematic of the SEAL creed to "leave no man behind." But upon returning home, Chris finds he is unable to leave behind the trauma of war.

Poignant moments: Clint Eastwood shows his experience and class in many scenes. Let me quote a few though not in order of preference 1. The scene when Chris Kyle approaches his wife and children with a drawn gun - Suspenseful 2. The muslim kid and the Bazooka moment & the killing of the boy and the mother - lasting impact 3. The Sniper finds his mark and kills his rival - Great camera work 4. The sand storm once again good camera and CG work 5. The camaraderie between the seal team 6. Chris Kyle's patriotism justifying all the unjust acts of his and the American Government 7. Chris Kyle's kid brother who fails to live up to his idol and brothers status as the legend 8. Chris Kyle's dad is a devout Christian and disciplinarian and Chris blindly follows his father's beliefs more out of respect and to be accepted but fails to realise that this own beliefs are rather superficial. 9. Chris is a simpleton conditioned and trained by the American army to be a killing machine 10. Chris Kyle's wife's constant struggle to come to terms with PTSD 11.The average Americans ignorance and belief that all Muslims are evil and are terrorists plotting against their country 12. Lastly Clint Eastwood strong and unflinching patriotism for his country U.S.of A. which somehow is poorly presented in our country.

& the climax - Surprises you !

Acting: It's Bradley Cooper show all the way though ably supported by all the other actors

D.O.P - Great work. The raw footage is a treat to cinema lovers.

EDIT - Again competent and hardly any lag.

BG SCORE - Goes well with the premise

Downside: I quote a viewer's review which says it all -

“First, let me say that Eastwood's direction, Cooper's acting and the screenplay are all competent. Were this film a wholly fictional account of a warrior with special skills put in the service of his comrades it would be quite serviceable, though no more than that.

However, here was an opportunity to show the complexities of a man hailed as an American hero; and by complexities, I mean the thoroughly odious aspects of Chris Kyle's character. The man enjoyed killing people, regarding his targets as savages, and he bragged about killing looters in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina - even if he didn't, because we don't know for certain, what kind of man declares proudly his murderous inclinations? In short, he was far from a good man. Dismally, you would never know this from the simple-minded depiction of him as an all American Hero in Eastwood's film.

Likewise, there is not a shred of awareness in the film that the US involvement in Iraq might have been illegal and was certainly catastrophic for the Iraqis. The film's approach is to display every Iraqi man, woman and even child as intent on murdering "good" American troops and therefore deserving of their fate, both at the end of Kyle's rifle and under the boot of American troops generally.

I don't know what Eastwood was thinking when he made this film. Perhaps he saw an easy way to make money by appealing to the misplaced patriotism of some Americans. What I do know is that this is a disgusting film.” – Qrobur – U.K

Though I have answered most of his apprehensions in my review he is well justified in some of his points which is why the film though good is not great!

Likewise there were quite a few who loved the film: 

"Amongst all the praise and criticism of the film, one thing that is certain - Bradley Cooper succeeds in bringing Chris Kyle's patriotism and private battles to the screen. A career defining performance."

"Politics, commentators and nationalism aside, American Sniper is a damn good film."


"Bravely refusing any form of hagiography, Eastwood triumphs with a measured, morally complex, and utterly gripping snapshot of what war can do to the men who fight it."

Bottom line - A lesson in the art of filmmaking! Seen from the eyes of the protagonist! 

Finally a Quote - 'Good stories can be made into a bad film: Bad stories can be made into a great film - It's all in the hands of the director - either way the producers pays the bill!"

My Rating: 3.5/5 - .5 for the rather lop sided view of the middle eastern conflict & American propaganda Total 3/5

Until Next Time,

Director Haricharan

28/2/2015