Reviewer: Pat Brennan
Rating: 3/4 Director: Clint Eastwood Writers: Jason Hall, Chris Kyle (Book) Cast: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Kyle Gallner, Keir O’Donnell American Sniper tells the story of U.S. Navy Seal Chris Kyle, a trained marksman, and his troubles throughout his life. Bradley Cooper excels in the role of Kyle and continues to show how he is becoming one of the most sought after actors in the game today. His portrayal of Kyle is something that simply cannot be missed. There were moments in the film where I did not even feel like I was watching Cooper at all. He went so deep into developing the character of Kyle that it almost seemed impossible to separate the two. In my honest opinion, he deserves the Oscar nomination for Best Actor this year. Although Cooper is clearly the standout star, Sienna Miller’s portrayal of Kyle’s wife, Taya, is also a performance not to be overlooked. Miller has been in two roles this year in which she is the wife of one of the main characters (the other being Foxcatcher). Her performance as Taya feels so real and emotional that it is hard to not feel a strong connection towards her. Without these two actors and their performances, I do not see this film being as powerful as it was. Clint Eastwood was able to create an environment that showed the struggles and hardships that war can bring. Perhaps the best line that was said during the film came from Kyle’s brother, Jeff, when he ran into Chris during his stay over in Afghanistan. When Chris asks him what he has been doing and how he has been, his response is “Fuck this place!”. That is his response to everything that is going on around him. What I love about this response is that not only is he saying fuck this idea of war and where they are, but he is also saying fuck what this place can do to someone. Just fuck it all. This moment stood out to me which is why in my opinion it is one of the most powerful parts of the film. Although the film does seem to die down a little at the end and stray away from what made it powerful in the beginning, it does not take away from the story that Eastwood was trying to create. Cooper’s portrayal of Kyle is one that will stick with you for quite some time. Even as I left the theater you could hear a pin drop. There was definite feeling of sadness and respect for what soldiers have to go through day in and day out. American Sniper is certainly one of the more powerful films to come out in 2014.
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Authors:Pat Brennan: Recent Film grad from Temple University with a love for all aspects of film. David Fincher for life. Archives:
November 2016
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