Movie Review: 'American Sniper'

 It is a real-life story of Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper), the deadliest sniper in the U.S. Military history based on his memoir. A young kid born to hit the bull’s eye is taught to be a “sheepdog” by his father and grows up to be a kickass bronco rodeo rider whose heart beats for his country. He joins the U.S. Navy SEALs. The crack shot gets deployed in Iraq to save the lives of American soldiers by stopping the enemies from ambushing their Marines. He operates mainly from terrace tops with the telescopic vision of his rifle. During his four tours of duty he gets the title of Legend with 160 confirmed kills to his name.

The movie has the potential to transport you to the warzone and gives you some serious moments when your eyes get glued to the screen without a blink while you struggle to hold on to the edge of the seat. The one in which Kyle blows Mustafa’s head from 2100 yards shows a real mettle of the man. Some of the scenes are so fantastically shot that they resemble live footage being run. The best thing about the movie is that it is filled with believable frames. Chris is always on the war, be it on the field or off it, be it struggling to be with his family or regretting over what he could have done. He is lost in the war field even when he is home with his wife (Sienna Miller) frequently calling out to him. Also, his ears reverberate with gun sounds whenever he hears any raucous sound.

A fine film-making presents subtlety with strength and keeps narration at bay. I simply loved that the director Clint Eastwood has done a fabulous job of not letting the words dominate the movie. Emotions and sounds have done better justice and added beautifully to the overall impact of the movie. The characterization of Chris Kyle is so strong that by the end of the movie one can know him well enough and say that he was not only an ace sniper but also a great human being and above all, an extremely proud patriot. To get a look of the Legend, Bradley Cooper packs on 40 pounds and claims a power pack performance. This is a movie made with a heart; needless to say it's really a good watch to know the Legend that lived.