American Sniper follows more than the life and career of Navy Seal Chris Kyle, it examines the Army, Marines, Navy and the Air Force and their involvement in the Battle of Ramadi, Iraq in 2006.
Bradley Cooper grows in size and character as he fittingly transforms into the patriotic US Navy Seal Sniper Chris Kyle, showing nothing but grit and tenacity in his role as a Seal and a father, Cooper played this role exceptionally, so much so that I forgot he was acting, the whole movie just felt real in general. Sienna Miller also rises to the occasion as the honest yet loving wife to Kyle, her transformation in personality to when she met Kyle in a bar till minutes before she would see him for the last time forever was at a smooth and appropriate pace.
The film does show action and does a fairy good job at it, while not guns-blazing, is honest and simple with sequences such as front door breaches, Kyle's sniping snippets and the occasional Humvee (Vehicular) scenes. There is only one scene in the film where everything is havoc and that occurs right after Kyle snipes and records his longest kill against Mustafa, an Iraqi sniper working with ISIL militants.
However, the ending to this film is shocking because it was reality and Eastwood reminded us once more through a fitting and touching tribute about the contributions and tribulations of Chris Kyle. While the film is definitely American propaganda, the notion shouldn't stop us from dissecting and appreciating the cinematic and storytelling prowess of Eastwood showcased here.
Whether you're an American or non-American, we can all agree that Chris Kyle has made history for himself and his country and there is no-one who can do justice to his story and legacy other than Clint Eastwood.