So Ive seen American Sniper and in a packed theater too, this movie looks like its gonna push everything off the charts in terms of box office, so what are my thoughts on this film about the worlds most deadliest sniper? A film that nabbed six nominations from the Academy, well I tell you right now what I think about this film. This film was absolutely, positively, undoubtedly... OK. It isnt bad, it isnt great its just... OK. Bradley Cooper was great as he usually is (putting on a gigantic amount of weight it would seem) but the rest of the acting? Its OK. Hows the directing? Its OK. Hows the writing? Its, you guessed it, OK. Chris Kyle was a man whos story I think shouldve been told but the film doesnt know which part of the story it should tell: the story of the Legendary Sniper, or the story of the man who had to shed that Legend to become the father to his children. The film bounces back and forth between these two stories when really I think it shouldve focused on one: the man, or the superman. Im not saying this because I dont think Kyles life was emotionally complex or that it isnt a story that only deserves a half, but as a film it should focus on one or the other. I didnt feel like the film fully captured Kyles essence or why he did what he did or what he had to truly do to fit back into society. On top of that, the film just doesnt really seem to rise to the challenge. The acting as a whole is OK, but thinking about it again I realize theres a lot more bad performances than good ones. When some of the people died in this film, Patriots of our country and people who actually lived and died in the real world (I assume, unless the film made some of these characters up which is entirely possible), I could barely even remember their names. This is an especially big problem when a whole plot point revolves around this with Kyle and this expert sniper going at it in a wild goose chase which made me question where Willy E. Coyote and the Road Runner were. Ive researched it and I can safely tell you that this sniper did not exist and let me tell you it was one of the lamest parts of the movie. Why couldnt we see this mans day to day life in Iraq and not have it focused on this made-up wild goose chase? I sure as hell dont care especially when this supposed super, incredible, evil, terrorist Dark-Kyle didnt even exist. Ive heard different stories about Chris Kyle, some called him a hero others called him a crazy, war loving fanatic. I didnt know the man, he did save and end lives though and he certainly has an interesting story to tell. I wish this movie couldve fully explored what made Kyle who he is rather than making up about half of it and then just barely holding together with a great leading performance. Clint Eastwood isnt my favorite director but he is a good one, Unbroken is unbelievably good and Million Dollar Baby is a flawed, but still a good film so Im disappointed with what hes come up with here. If the film was more focused on who Kyle was rather than what he did (or didnt do, since the middle portion of the film now seems largely fictional) I would find it much more interesting. The film isnt terrible by any means, like I said Cooper is great, hes basically the glue that keeps the film from falling apart. His version of Kyle is that of a man who is questioning who he is and what he does (though apparently the real man was firm in that what he did was right), and brings it forth with silence and realism. You look into his eyes and you see so much of who this man is. Its a great performance, a testament to Bradley Coopers talent as an actor. There were some great moments in the film, my favorite part being when the kid picks up the RPG and Kyles hopes that he will drop it (I wont tell you if he does or doesnt) and it never really evoked any negative or insulting messages to me. However, I will say that I dont think this film deserves those nominations or these box-office numbers, I saw it with tons of people who got sucked into it and I wish that theyd realize that the films isnt perfectly accurate and anyone with basic knowledge of the past decade of history could figure this out (notably about why we went to Iraq), this movie may not piss me off but what may really piss me off is if some people start following it blindly without question as to what really happened in history. Bottom Line, the film is alright, but I remember seeing the Hurt Locker some years ago, a truly great war film about Iraq and it was made for half of this films budget and it depicted more of Iraq, more of how it effected those who fought in it, and on top of that was a work of fiction. Yet this film which is based on a real man, has almost half a million dollars in its budget and it has failed to even touch that, makes me feel less than pleased with it
Posted on: Sun, 25 Jan 2015 05:49:02 +0000
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