‘American Sniper’
A-
As the theater darkened and the trailers began, there seemed to be a buzz, a palpable excitement.
The opening shot of a sniper flashed onto the screen, and as the camera made its way up the barrel of the gun, the sold-out theater was in for a show.
There were a lot of aspects to focus on, from the camerawork of Clint Eastwood, whose directing marks his best work since 2008’s “Gran Torino,” to the score, which kept the music to a minimum to focus on the natural sound and add a higher sense of tension and dread.
However, this movie was Bradley Cooper’s from the opening scene.
Cooper, in the role of U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, gained 40 pounds for the performance. But it was his stellar acting, not the way he looked, that made him so riveting.
There were quite a few times where the camera stayed on Cooper, and it was his eyes that told the audience what he was thinking. He was able to portray an emotional state with just a glance.
From scene to scene, Cooper was able to change his demeanor, from the confidence that he exuded in times of battle to a frightened and vexed husband at home.
What made this character so great was that the film gave a balanced viewpoint of the main character, both positive and negative. It didn’t just focus on his military exploits. Rather, it showed his home life and the aftereffects the war brought unto him.
Chris Kyle was “the Legend,” but he was also a man that needed to work to get himself in a good place. He had struggles and had to overcome them.
These obstacles humanized Kyle, which created a more interesting character that the audience could relate to, instead of a one-note killing machine.
One scene in particular stands out where Kyle is watching television with the sounds of gunfire and screams piercing the air. However as the camera pans to show what he’s watching, the screen is blank.
The movie wasn’t just footage of war. It dove into the character’s thoughts and sensibilities in a way that is uncommon for studio movies nowadays.
Unfortunately, there were a few problems in the movie which took away from its overall brilliance.
At times, the dialogue was stinted and cliché, especially between Kyle and his wife, played by Sienna Miller. There were a few scenes where more could have been done to show their connection and why they were fighting so hard to keep their marriage alive.
For the most part, the footage was grounded in realism, but there was one pivotal scene that seemed straight out of “The Matrix,” following the flight of the bullet. The special effects were stunning, but they didn’t seem to work in a movie that tried to show the hardships of war.
Even with these faults, “American Sniper” proved itself to be a worthy descendant to the New York Times’ best-selling memoir of the same name. The film presented the full story with a wide range of emotions.
Nominated for six Oscars, “American Sniper” has earned each one and Bradley Cooper unquestionably deserves his shot to take home the Best Actor trophy.
Greg Gottfried
