American Sniper

American Sniper is the story of Chris Kyle- 'the most lethal sniper in U.S. history' (he had over 160 confirmed kills).  Largely a biography, the film follows him through SEAL training and four tours of duty in the Middle East, interleaved with difficult periods at home with his new bride and (eventually) two children.  I say difficult because Chris, like many who have served, had difficulty leaving the war 'over there' and readjusting to 'normal' life.  It's clear his fight didn't end when his tours did- and he finds the battle to 'come home mentally' may be harder than the war against terrorism.  Chris struggles with what I presume was PTSD, and he's haunted by those comrades he couldn't save.  He finally finds peace helping other veterans (wounded physically and mentally) as they re-enter American society.

The movie was well-regarded, and rightly so.  It was done well, capturing the psychologically and physically difficult aspects of war.  It appeared to paint an accurate, balanced perspective of the conflict- being neither overly critical of America nor forgiving some of her crimes in war.  I was expecting a tad more, though, based on the hype surrounding it.  It was solid, and its general messages seemed to be "war is hell on everyone" and "war changes you irrevocably."  A more minor theme was "you can't do it all," as Chris realizes that he can't save everyone, all the time.  Overall, it was good, if not as spectacular or profound as I hoped it would be.  But, as a biography, maybe that's as it should be.

Rating: A-