American Sniper proves Clint Eastwood still hits the mark in making entertaining movies [Review]
He may be 84, but director Clint Eastwood proves with American Sniper that he's still in the game. Based on Navy Seal Chris Kyle's 2012 memoir, the film documents the struggles of one of America's best marksmen, fighting in the Iraq war.
Eastwood is careful to veer away from politically sensitive issues and make this purely about Kyle (a beefed-up Bradley Cooper), who just wants to "protect the greatest country in the world".
His job is to hide on rooftops and shoot anybody he deems life-threatening, even women and children. Drawn by obsession and duty to kill enemy sniper (Sammy Sheik), Kyle keeps going back to Iraq, even when his wife Taya (Sienna Miller) threatens divorce.
Cooper does a brilliant job portraying Kyle as he evolves from a young cowboy to a traumatised father. Taya is his opposite, a transparent character that contrasts nicely with Kyle's inability to open up.
With its first-person shooting angles, the film is gripping and touching at just the right levels - worthy of the six Oscar nominations it has received.
Contains strong language and scenes of violence