American Sniper

Wow! That's probably the best word I can use to describe Clint Eastwood's latest movie. I've been looking forward to this ever since it was first announced and I was not disappointed.

American Sniper tells the true story of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle (played here by Bradley Cooper), who is regarded as the most lethal sniper in US military history with 160 confirmed kills. The movie is based on his autobiography.

I've always been a big fan of Clint Eastwood, even though his last few movies haven't been the best. I'm happy that he's finally getting back in the right direction. American Sniper is a very real, gritty movie. Clint doesn't shy away from showing the brutal effects of war. Nor does he make it so gory to the point of only doing it for shock value the way other directors might.

The action scenes were so tense that I was literally on the edge of my seat the whole time. As much as I loved those scenes, I also thought the "quieter" moments between Chris and his wife Taya (Sienna Miller) were well done. It's heartbreaking to watch the affect of what Chris has been through and the toll it takes on not only him, but his family as well. I've been fortunate enough to know quite a few members of the military and their families and I can tell you that they were spot on. Very realistic.

Of course, I can't write this review without talking about Bradley Cooper's (well deserved) Oscar nominated performance. He worked his ass off to prepare for this role, including gaining over 40 pounds. But more than that, he was able to capture the spirit of who Chris was. During the credits they show footage as well as pictures of the real Chris and I swear Bradley looks just like him. It's very eerie. From what I've heard, Chris's family is very pleased with the performance and the movie itself.

Everyone needs to stop what they're doing right now and go see this incredible movie. It hits you right in the feels. My only regret is not being able to see it sooner (it got a very limited release around Christmas). Otherwise it definitely would've made it into my top 10. There's always my 2015 list :)

My Rating: 10/10