El francotirador

(I hope I can get through this review without tearing up)

Viewing this movie in the theatre is different than usual. While you walk in and grab your seat, you may feel that everyone around you is anticipating the same thing ... a powerful story about a powerful man with a powerful purpose. That's a lot for a movie to live up to.

I believe you will walk out of the theatre with many thoughts after watching American Sniper ... and one of those thoughts will be that Bradley Cooper gave unwavering respect to Chris Kyle, his family, his fellow SEALS, his country and the movie industry. He bulked up his shoulders and took on a very difficult role that etches him on the list of "Great Actors" as he plays the real life character of Chris Kyle. Simply put - he was believable. His look. His accent. His Texas strut. His dip. His eyes. Watching the film you can clearly see what I assume to be parallel of what Kyle experienced on the battlefields abroad and at home. I can only hope the Kyle family and friends feel the same, as Cooper's acting appears to be a beautiful tribute to a "Legend".

While Clint Eastwood didn't break any ground with direction, I do believe he was a perfect choice for this film and did an incredible job telling Kyle's story without putting politics on the screen. This is a rough story to watch no matter your political views ... war is hell on all sides. If Eastwood put politics in the film I believe the audience would have lost the purpose of the piece. This is a movie that liberals, conservatives, libertarians, and "I-don't-knowins" can appreciate.

The best movies make you walk out of the doors seeing the world a bit differently. American Sniper gives an eerie look into a world that we, as Americans, are so far away from. Many of us don't know death like this. We don't know what it's like to face the mental and physical challenges our troops face during war. We've never been in the middle of a sand- storm fire fight. Eastwood, his crew and cast provide us with a small glimpse into what our troops face overseas and stateside. After seeing the movie inside an enormous mall, it was a bit surreal to walk out to an Urban Outfitters and Apple store full of Christmas shoppers. American Sniper will push you outside of everyday life to tell you a story that will stir your head and your heart.

Personally, American Sniper brought many emotions about the courageous servicemen, women and their families that have touched my life. Over the years I've had the honor to work with the American Veterans Center (AVC) in Arlington, VA, who host the National Memorial Day Parade and Wounded Warrior Experience among other great events. Some of the veterans who starred in American Sniper have also shared their story during AVC events. If this movie inspires you to learn more about these outstanding men and women, please check out AVC.

American Sniper also reminded me of the bravest people I know -- Lance Corporal Nicholas Erdy and his family. Much like you see on the screen, the Erdy's sacrifice and love for our country is the stuff superheroes are made of.

To the Kyle family, Erdys, all veterans, servicemen and women, and their families ... thank you for your sacrifice and courage. Your stories inspire us to strive for love and peace. To Eastwood, Cooper and the American Sniper team ... thank you for clearly putting your heart into this important American story. Bravo.

Bottom line - the Chris Kyle Story - American Sniper - is a must see.

Chris Kyle was the most lethal sniper in the U.S. military history. He apparently killed more than 250 Iraqui insurgents, though the Pentagon only credited him around 160, which nevertheless made him a legend of the U.S. Army. I started to read the book last year but stopped doing it since I first heard about the project. Eastwood and Cooper on board, that is promising. And of course they both deliver, and "American Sniper" is dense and blunt, quite like a shot.

Cooper plays Chris Kyle, the ultimate "American": religious, patriot and uncompromising in his convictions. He is a noble and honest man regarding every aspect of his life, and that is something to respect. Cooper already played a soldier in "The A-Team" remake (Joe Carnahan, 2010), and it seems that he showed great abilities in the military stunts, and showed interest in the work of the army. He bulked up 20 kg and went through a really tough training, including Navy SEAL sniper sessions. Sienna Miller plays his wife Taya, who suffered the effects of war on his husband, despite his strong belief and determination. Her unconditional love was a massive support for Kyle.

Eastwood has made an intense and heartfelt film, one of his trademarks, absent shows and unnecessary politics or philosophy. This is obviously the classic "American" patriotic film, but it differs from others in the approach of the man, who is an instrument to a purpose, yet a human being totally aware of what he does.

Bottom line, this film is almost perfect in many aspects, and the only thing that does not hook me is how much it reminds me to "The Hurt Locker" (Kathryn Bigelow, 2008). That was way more focused on the adrenaline addiction the main character had, but the behavior of both characters after tours seemed to me pretty alike.

When it comes to true story films, there are times where film-makers try to add more or less into what really happened in the event being told. In this case, Clint Eastwood's American Sniper has already contracted not only positive acclaim but a stir of negativity and controversy that surrounds the way Kyle was really like in life. Some say he had lost his mind in the war for peace while others say he was caught up in the emotional aftermath after service but Eastwood has stated that his film is "the biggest anti-war statement any film can make," and said that "the fact of what war does to the family and the people who have to go back into civilian life like Chris Kyle did"

What AS tells is the true life figure Chris Kyle who served as the American military's 'lethal sniper' who has made more kills in his duty of tours during the Iraq war period after 9/11. It chronicles how Chris became a true American to protect his homeland and the aftermath of serving his tours when he came home to his small growing family, leading up to the final hours of his life.

Pros:

+ Bradley Cooper's portrayal of Chris Kyle is indeed a new height for his career, he gives a performance that can be described as gripping, tense and at times

+ The action sequences are all done well, but at times it can be tense, violent and confronting for some.

+ The emotional connection between the main character and his family, that the final scene that will either break you or make you undecided.

Cons:

• The controversy that surrounds it, it can make the film an exaggerated lie or truth to what Kyle was like in reality but again it is showing what war can do on people on the front-line and home.

OVERALL: Despite the controversy it has gained by writers , the film is indeed a strong acting showcase for Cooper while leaving audiences both open and more aware of the effects of war on human kind. Go in with an open mind and see for yourself for what you would think that made Chris Kyle a 'lethal sniper' for this country. If you had liked The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty and Machine Gun Preacher (not a war film but somewhat similar to Kyle's story) you will enjoy this.

I was very intrigued with the trailer, mesmerized to say the least. The movie was another thing.

When I was the USA I met this Chris, he was no hero. Just a guy with a rifle and a sense that he was right.

For most of the patriots there is no room for the idea that Kyle might have been a good soldier but a bad guy; ()or a mediocre guy doing a difficult job badly; ()or a complex guy in a bad war who convinced himself he loved killing to cope with an impossible situation; ()or a straight-up serial killer exploiting an oppressive system that, yes, also employs lots of well-meaning, often impoverished, non-serial-killer people to do oppressive things over which they have no control.

()Or that Iraqis might be fully realised human beings with complex inner lives who find joy in food and sunshine and family, and anguish in the murders of their children.

()Or that you can support your country while thinking critically about its actions and its citizenry.

I'm even surprised to see that people vote it "Best of"...

Well what do I know, I'm just an European.

Both historically and in reality, this movie is a profound embellishment of the truth. I won't go into the real domestic situation of the sniper and his wife, you can google it and see that this movie is nothing but a fabrication. This was guy was not the wonderful kind family man as portrayed in the movie.

This movie is great entertainment as far as war movies go... but if you want accuracy ..... move on.