As cinemas are getting ready for the load of features coming in for 2015, American Sniper is a film that truly starts off the year with a bang. Based off of his similarly titled autobiography published in 2012, American Sniper is a film that follows the life of Chris Kyle (played by Bradley Cooper) and the many trials he faces as he learns that being a sniper for the U.S. Navy Seals is much more traumatic then he imagined. There has been many films that either retell war stories or follows the experiences of one soldier, but American Sniper accomplished so much more.
Put in the seat of Chris Kyle, viewers get to experience moments of gut wrenching suspense and shock as Kyle sees what it’s like on the field. The viewer gets to feel the pressure of every shot Kyle takes and every decision he makes as the consequences set off later on. The points of emotional distress that the main character goes through grabs the viewer even more as the plot progresses, whether it’s the regret of taking an innocent life due to orders or the question of if it’s worth the fight.
What many films fail to accomplish is to deliver the feeling of true suspense which American Sniper does excellently, as the feeling of being predictable isn’t there at all. The story also flows well as transitioning doesn’t lose the viewer, even through certain time period jumps which many films fail to do correctly.
Clint Eastwood, who directed the film, happened to prove yet again that he can deliver an excellent cinematic experience especially with the help of Bradley Cooper who portrayed Chris Kyle in a highly remarkable fashion. Switching Cooper from comedic actor to hard hitting Navy Seal wasn’t a hard transition as he was able to fit the part of the late Chris Kyle.
The only negative that can be pointed at the film is speculation that some aspects of the movie might not be true and the fact that one scene used a fake baby in a movie that had a $58.8 million dollar budget. With barely anything to complain about from this movie, American Sniper truly is a cinematic treat that keeps the viewer at the edge of their seat that keeps everybody wanting more and more.
