American Sniper: A Movie Review

Genre: Action/Drama
Running: 132 mins
Directed: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Elise Robertson & Goat-Winston

American Sniper is the story of Chris Kyle; a prolific killing machine with 160 kills on record. Renowned as "The Legend" on the grounds of war, Bradley Cooper portrays Chris as someone with much emotion, mental torture and aftermath being an interesting (and surprising) direction in Clint Eastwood's film, despite Kyle's autobiography being "slightly" different in his hunt for American glory. However was this film worthy of its recent Oscar nod?

Spread out over four tours to and back from the war in Iraq, the movie begins by capturing the pinpoint accuracy of Chris Kyle with an intimate scene involving a deer-hunt and a lesson of life's values and harsh realities with his father. With ambitions of being a cowboy looking less likely, the attack on September 11 motivates Chris to play a part in the war against Saddam Hussein's divided Iraq. There we see the build of one man's innocence to the guilty pleasure of killing his proposed enemy. Despite his deadly occupation Chris struggles to balance both his marriage and his desire to stay on the grounds of war.

Director Clint Eastwood captures action and storytelling in a wonderful way but one has to question the source material which is either false or misused for sheer entertainment; so much so that American Sniper may have accidentally wound up in blockbuster territory. This is a cliched story of one mans ego born out of legendary stories both on (and off) the grounds of war with a gruesome battle of who snipes best as Chris sets his scope on "The Butcher" and his troupe. The Butcher is the enemy introduced to add a novel twist to this trail blazer. The Butcher is a horrid man who drills out the eyes of his victims. This is a surprising story that, despite all of what is happening in the Iraq war, a hero versus enemy backdrop is not so backdrop and overshadows the initial story of the navy SEALS and war. Chris Kyle's battle with another sniper through-out this movie proves shamefully entertaining and one can only imagine this to be fantasy in regards to the official story. Other scenes are wonderfully made up too. One such is made for the propaganda enthusiast; Chris Kyle watches on as the second plane hit the twin towers in a scene fictionally crafted to give off a heroic impression of Kyle. We know this event was so tragic it sent shock-waves through-out the globe, but justice looks destined to be served by an emotional Chris Kyle however the movie cuts to him fighting in Americas's war against Iraq? Wasn't  9/11 orchestrated by Osama Bin Laden and not Saddam Hussein? The movie fails to tell us our leading protagonist has wound up in the wrong place.

Based on the book "American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History" by Chris Kyle himself, this movie adaption is a a slight reflection of Kyle's pro-war diary, E.G. the citizens of Iraq are branded "savages" in the movie also. So because this is "Chris Kyle's story" the movie struggles to find a balance, while Clint Eastwood's pro-American perspective is evident throughout (9/11 being one unnecessary ruling in the movies plot).

From a neutral standpoint audiences will applaud the cinematography which is mashed up of beautifully shot landscapes of war, the nitty-gritty tight-squeezed housing of Iraq which gives off a claustrophobic feel of being in battle with Chris Kyle as he picks his enemy off one by one, and the explosive final showdown which is breathtaking all the same. Bradley Cooper on the other hand gives a memorable performance but far from his best; a sense of reality is lacking in Cooper's portrayal and is often saved by his wife Debbie who is played by Elise Robertson. Elise brings this story of consequence and death to a more humane state of mind with a wonderful performance and really grabs this movie by the scruff of the neck whenever she appears on screen.

This is an entertaining movie that is fictionally suited to create a hero in Cooper's Chris Kyle which is true to some extent. Critics claimed a lot of what Kyle has admitted to be pure false, therefore it is difficult to ignore that when watching American Sniper so best see the movie before you read the book. American Sniper sat next to movies such as "The Theory of Everything", "Selma", "Boyhood" and "The Grand Budapest Hotel" at this years Oscars.  Because this movie is running on "fact" based on one mans story it never stood a chance really. However American Sniper is indeed a fine action flick at best with a story so extraordinary on paper that Mr Eastwood ran with the superhero blockbuster effect, transforming Kyle's pattern of kills and emotions into an onscreen plot that should be taken with a pinch of salt.

The Hangover Part III

Genre: Comedy
Director: Todd Phillips
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Zack Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Ken Jeong. 
Running: 100 Mins

While The Hangover was pretty original, Todd Philips shows for the third time around that his visionary comedies are pretty funny but at times, one dimensional.  The Hangover part III looks to take a new direction (hangover free). So how did Todd and the guys get on this time around?

The guys are worried for the mental health of Alan (Zack Galifianakis) following the sudden death of his father. While Alan is hilariously obnoxious in refusing to cooperate, it is the presence of Phil (Bradly Cooper) and Stu (Ed Helms) that helps reel Alan into what he believes to be the return of the wolf pack. However things take an expected turn for the worst as the gang are ambushed on route to Alan's destination. Doug (Justin Bartha) is kidnapped. Phil and Stu can't help but ignore the name of Chow who has a big part to play in the mess they will inevitably become part of.

On the orders of Marshall (John Goodman) the guys must find and return Chow - or Doug is a dead man.

And so begins a wild goose chase that is sometimes funny, yet most times boring and child like with the concept slowly but surely loosing the clever, witty comedic effort it supplied in the first movie. The onscreen companionship of both Chow and Alan is what saves this comedic effort from completely sinking. The character of Chow is in your face the whole time with sequences of loud, over the top camp-ness, revealing a movie that could have been called "Hangover: The origin of Chow".

Zack Galifianakis continues to advertise the same character he plays in everything. Of course we expect nothing less than humorous dialog from this guy and that is just what we get - with a more twisted mind-set from the once touched-friendly Alan who is now on the verge of straight up murdering someone. Not everyone will appreciate the sudden change of character or maybe you won't even notice.

The apparent importance of Alan is so drawn out at this stage that he completely shuts out the presence of both Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms. The Hangover III reveals that while Chow becomes annoying, along with the peculiar change of Zack's character, we will still munch on our popcorn and laugh on occasions with or without Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms - Hangover III so desperately wanted to take a new direction that they forgot about Cooper and Helms. It is a bit of a shame, but yet this is what happens when one man steals the show from the very beginning.

We did not need the Hangover III, let alone a sequel. Yet this is modern day Hollywood and while it is funny on occasions, one can not help but notice a desperate attempt for new material has resulted in a two man show - Chow and Alan. The Hangover part III is funnier than the sequel (in small sequences), but just as forgetful. The wolf pack may live on, but not to fill the pockets of the Hollywood hierarchy.

Overall: Partly Funny - unoriginal - over the top - beats the sequel - highly forgetful 

5.5/10

The Place Beyond the Pines

As far as Ryan Gosling movies go, Blue Valentine (2010) is by far my favourite. Heck I would even throw it onto my invisible list of all time favourites. Those who have seen Blue Valentine will know that director Derek Cianfrance created an absolute gem of a movie, bringing out a riveting performance from Gosling. Derek returns with Gosling once again, showboating a frenetic drama consisting of three chapters that are pieced together over a total of 15 years.

Luke is a motorbike performer, entertaining tourists in the local circus. Walking out to an eagerly awaited crowd, Luke is clearly adored for his skills on a dirt-bike rather than his personality. Luring in the background is the beautiful Romina (Eva Mendes). Immediately we witness an evolved chemistry that spells history. While Luke is clearly fond of his own company, he can't ignore his love for Romina, considering the kid she shares with her boyfriend is indeed Luke's. Adamant to win Romina back, Luke hooks up Robin, played by the ever so brilliant Ben Mendelsohn.

Aside from Robin's generosity in offering Luke a place to stay, Robin gives Luke the chance to put his motorbike skills to good use. With the prospect of having enough money to provide for Romina and his boy, Luke agrees to rob a bank, with the assistance of Robin.

Luke's personality is bleak, with a troubled past hanging over him. This shows evidence when his hunger for more money becomes his weakness. Luke collides with Avery (Bradley Cooper); a dedicated force of the law who is struggling to cope with a level of corruptness in his department. Avery comes face to face with his morals as he is up against Ray Liotta and co, who are out to test Avery's loyalty in more ways than others. 

This is a brilliantly shot movie with dumbed down dialogue that just reels you in with every character. Watching Gosling on the bike is mesmerising, while the enormous sounds of the bike makes you feel like your sitting on the back of it!

The Place beyond the Pines is a dark focus on the choices in life and the morals you choose to take with you. While it is told over three  magnificent chapters, the final chapter is quite ordinary and strangely different. Although it is still relevant, I had to keep reminding myself that I am watching the same film.

Gosling is wonderful to watch, re-kindling an inspirational presence that will remind you of the character we adored in Drive. Bradley Cooper generates quite a serious performance this time around, in which I must admit was hard to engage in at first, but his tied circumstances helps his character to grow as you begin to love, pity and despise his presence.

While we expected nothing other than a memorable performance from Ryan Gosling, even he couldn't save the third half of a movie that was so far from what was, it became such a pain in the ass to watch.

 Its only downfall is the coincidental finale. It appeared too desperate, attempting to connect the dots over a 15 year period. Avery's jive talking son is so irritating you just wonder what on earth the writer was thinking! The extended story was still intriguing (at times), with a modern high-school step up, but was it necessary? No.  However it did stick to the generational concept of "crossing paths". The unpredictable writers of this movie continue to brag about how this "place beyond the pines" is so far from a one man show, it is willing to throw anything at you - the Eminem impersonator is proof of that, while the cheesy ending doesn't help either.

Still, the final chapter is just as watchable, and that is down to the inclusion of prospect actor Dane DeHaan,who is quite possibly the savour to what would have been a disastrous third chapter that followed an engaging first.

8/10

Look out for: Only God Forgives - May/June 2013. You can watch the trailer below