Film Review: Lack of Full Disclosure Trips Up ‘American Sniper’

CHICAGO – A straightforward story about the military marksman Chris Kyle is pretty much told in “American Sniper,” by director Clint Eastwood. But what is left out of the movie – Kyle’s right-wing politics and a depiction of his fate – is more curious than what is actually presented.

Rating: 2.5/5.0

Chris Kyle was a kill master, a Navy Seal who became the go-to for providing cover for ground troops and blasting insurgents in Iraq. His black and white vision of America-good, enemy-bad is merely hinted upon in the movie, but his extended biography reveals a madness for this absolution that in essence nullifies his “world record” kill quota – not to mention that Iraq is pretty much a zero-sum game for America. But politics aside, the story of Chris Kyle could have used more balance, in the midst of some decent performances by Bradley Cooper as the sniper and Sienna Miller as his home front wife.

Chris Kyle (Cooper) is a aimless cowboy in Texas who decides to sign up for the Navy Seals after September 11th. He is a hunter, and shows a high proficiency on the firing range. While in training, he meets a woman named Taya (Sienna Miller), and the twosome’s relationship eventually becomes marriage. About this time, Chris gets his assignment as a sniper in Iraq.

His job consists of determining who the enemy is, and then killing them. This involves some moral dilemmas, such as women and children as targets. On the home front, Taya goes through a worrisome pregnancy, and even when Chris is home on leave he is never really present. The warrior has problems without his war, until it ultimately catches up with him.

”American Sniper” opens everywhere on January 16th. Featuring Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Kyle Gallner and Ben Reed. Screenplay adapted by Jason Hall. Directed by Clint Eastwood. Rated “R”