Clint Eastwood is back…sort of. His American Sniper is a gripping study of a modern military man, Chris Kyle, in action in our modern military. But unfortunately for Eastwood, he has no idea how to direct what happens when a war hero returns home.
Based on sniper Chris Kyle’s (Bradley Cooper) book, American Sniper focuses on the man’s military lifestyle. He was raised by his dad as a crack shot hunter who defends the people he loves. Aimless for his youth, Kyle’s life finds direction when he witnesses attacks on Americans on foreign soil. Kyle enlists in the Navy SEALs, but before he ships off, he meets the love of his life, Taya (Sienna Miller). Once overseas, Chris finds war is his calling, but he also has a family he needs to juggle with his obsession to save the world.
American Sniper’s biggest flaw is its jingoism. No one would dare say Chris Kyle isn’t an amazing war hero, but Eastwood deifies his behavior. As a sniper, there’s some juicy opportunities for Kyle to make an incorrect decision, or for him to realize he is killing people. These ideas are mostly swept away to showcase Kyle’s brilliance in battle. When characters confront Kyle about his belief system, the man’s laser focus to save the world lets some fascinating dialogue fall by the wayside. By the end, Kyle seems more like a machine than a man, executing war tactics but unfeeling to the common man, even with the rushed discharge. The best biopics give layers to their leads; American Sniper just made me feel like SPOILER Eastwood’s main focus was to eulogize the man.
That being said, I felt Kyle’s elevated paranoia. Eastwood can still direct the hell out of a tense sequence, and the war material is pretty stellar here. The sniper sequences drip with internal conflict, no matter how many times Eastwood goes to that well. When we get on the ground, the camera is with Kyle but not too shaky, capturing the terror of an ambush without unnecessary disorientation. The terror of these situations is juxtaposed nicely with Kyle’s calm; Eastwood’s biggest addition to the war genre is getting a hoo-rah soldier who belongs in the thick of it. Kyle is aware that he belongs in war, and happy to be deployed to protect the country he loves.
Much of American Sniper’s success lies at the feet of Bradley Cooper. Cooper inhabits Kyle very well, exuding importance and narrow determination. Cooper gets the same beat to play over and over, and he finds little pieces to make each scene as different as possible. Sienna Miller gets the “awesome” role where she gets to cry and ask over and over again if Bradley Cooper is ok.
Bradley Cooper has come a long way since Wedding Crashers. His Chris Kyle is a love letter to all those patriots doing their best to defend the United States. Though I do not support the violence, I am in awe of the courage of our armed forces.