"American Sniper."
I admit, up front, that I am not familiar with Chris Kyle, his experiences, his book, or his legend.
I had a lot of words for my review for "American Sniper."
I deleted them all an instead opted for something short and simple.
The movie did best when it showed the life of Kyle--quiet, simple, and honest--changed by his participation in the war, as opposed to simply focusing on (what felt like) a fabricated conflict with Mustafa, some bandana-wearing, parkour employing sniper.
The conflict between Mustafa and the larger Iraqi insurgency drags on for too long, especially with how little characterization is provided for them.
The real teeth--the real struggle, at least, for me--is how Kyle sacrifices for his country, and the cost that sacrifice has on both his well-being and his family, and how he feels his country has forgotten him.
This is where the movie shines--but this is also where the movie spends far too little screentime. Which is a damn shame, considering the subtext of the movie seems to be exactly that--of the personal cost of this war on our soldiers, of the battles that our service men and women still fight, even though they're no longer on the battlefield.
I've never felt so horrified by a man seemingly staring off at a powered-down television.
I've worked with a few veterans. I've caught them doing that. It's... sad.
I appreciate their service. I respect it by not asking dumb civilian questions.
Ultimately, what criticism I have for the movie is because of too much action and too little humanity--but that criticism is half-hearted and hesitant, because I'm not sure if I'm criticizing a man's memoirs and thoughts, or the Hollywood-ized interpretation of that man.
I had a lot of words for my review for "American Sniper."
I deleted them all an instead opted for something short and simple.
The movie did best when it showed the life of Kyle--quiet, simple, and honest--changed by his participation in the war, as opposed to simply focusing on (what felt like) a fabricated conflict with Mustafa, some bandana-wearing, parkour employing sniper.
The conflict between Mustafa and the larger Iraqi insurgency drags on for too long, especially with how little characterization is provided for them.
The real teeth--the real struggle, at least, for me--is how Kyle sacrifices for his country, and the cost that sacrifice has on both his well-being and his family, and how he feels his country has forgotten him.
This is where the movie shines--but this is also where the movie spends far too little screentime. Which is a damn shame, considering the subtext of the movie seems to be exactly that--of the personal cost of this war on our soldiers, of the battles that our service men and women still fight, even though they're no longer on the battlefield.
I've never felt so horrified by a man seemingly staring off at a powered-down television.
I've worked with a few veterans. I've caught them doing that. It's... sad.
I appreciate their service. I respect it by not asking dumb civilian questions.
Ultimately, what criticism I have for the movie is because of too much action and too little humanity--but that criticism is half-hearted and hesitant, because I'm not sure if I'm criticizing a man's memoirs and thoughts, or the Hollywood-ized interpretation of that man.