American Sniper (English, 2014)

Despite his ripe age, Clint Eastwood sizzles yet again. His near flawless illustration of the life of Chris Kyle and his rise from being a ‘Sheepdog’ to be nicknamed ‘The Legend’ doesn’t just stay engraved in one’s memory but also recites the struggle that these men go through in the battlefield. One can’t do anything but just look upon this Octogenarian’s directorial skills with astonishment.

Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle, just seems to have obtained this knack of pulling off such roles with aplomb. His acting skills come to the fore not just at the battlefield but also when he is a battle-scarred psyche while reuniting with his family in between his four tours to the Middle East. Sienna Miller as the emotional spouse torn between her duties as a mother and the wife of a war-hero slips seamlessly into the character and plays it to perfection.

The screenplay stands out as the movie starts off with an intriguing scene of a mother handing over a grenade to her young son and jumps over to the early life of Chris Kyle where his father hands him a rifle and teaches him to hunt. It doesn’t just deliver the early punch but also helps keep the interest of the audience alive for the next 130 minutes.

Eastwood also has to be appreciated for not caring to highlight the legend. Instead, he illustrates Kyle to us much as Kyle saw his marks – with that peculiar blend of extreme intimacy and tremendous resolve that a long-range shooter confers. Conceivably the movie subtly delivers this message when Cooper awkwardly shrugs away from another war veteran who compliments him and calls him a hero.