2015 Movies

Southpaw

Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler) is becoming one of my favorite actors, though I’ll admit that I may have been slow to recognize his abilities. I’d always thought he turned in good performances, but it wasn’t until last year’s Nightcrawler that I finally realized how talented he is. When I think about his career thus far, I’m most impressed by his versatility. From Donnie Darko to Brokeback Mountain to Jarhead– he transforms himself completely on screen. In Antoine Fuqua’s latest offering Southpaw, Gyllenhaal is masterful as Billy Hope, a boxer whose life unravels in the wake of tragedy.

Billy Hope embodies the rags to riches bootstrapping ethos of many professional athletes. He overcame a rough childhood in foster care, rising to the pinnacle of his sport as an undefeated world champion. He remains loyal to his childhood friends and his wife Maureen (Rachel McAdams, Aloha), who was also raised in the system. They live in a huge mansion with their ten-year-old daughter Leila, enjoying all the trappings of Billy’s success while remaining true to their humble beginnings.

Trash-talk and boxing go hand in hand, so initially Billy is dismissive when challenged by upstart Miguel “Magic” Escobar, who wants a shot at the title. Billy tries to laugh off Escobar’s assertion that he’s “never been hit by a real man,” but his newfound nemesis is relentless in his provocation. After a particularly nasty insult aimed at Maureen, a brawl between the fighters and their respective camps ensues. Shots ring out in the fracas, and Maureen is fatally wounded. In the aftermath of this devastating tragedy, Billy completely unravels. Consumed by grief, he is incapable of being the support system Leila so desperately needs after the loss of her mother. When she is taken into child protective services, Billy has no one to blame but himself. Will he regain custody? Does he have any hope of resurrecting his career?

Southpaw’s strength literally and figuratively lies with Gyllenhaal. From the physical transformation he endured to mirror a prizefighter to the intonation and dialect he employed in his dialogue delivery – he completely immersed himself in the role. Forest Whitaker (Out of the Furnace) was also reliably effective in his supporting role as a trainer who helps Billy right the ship. However, although I enjoyed Southpaw, I didn’t absolutely love it. At first I couldn’t put my finger on it, but after mulling it over for a few days; I think the movie was almost too straightforward. Writer Kurt Sutter (Sons of Anarchy) needn’t have overcomplicated the story, but its resolution was a bit too tidy. Billy’s entire world went to shit. His wife, child, home, and livelihood were all ripped from him. The manner in which these conflicts were resolved was too streamlined. There were no plot twists, nothing unexpected.

I haven’t told you anything you didn’t already know if you’ve seen the trailer. Gyllenhaal’s commitment to the role was evidenced by his physical transformation, and the boxing scenes were frighteningly realistic. But how are we supposed to believe that a fighter who had been defeated so thoroughly could bounce back so quickly? A good movie, but not a great one. Grade: B+

 

Magic Mike XXL

You know my opinion of sequels. Rarely are they a logical or necessary extension of an original movie. Cinematic purpose aside, they are nevertheless entertaining – especially if the original was satisfying. Magic Mike was wildly successful, aimed at a target demographic that showed up in full force for the provocative Steven Soderbergh (Contagion) film starring Channing Tatum (22 Jump Street) and Matthew McCounaghey (Interstellar). Thus I wasn’t surprised when I heard there would be a sequel, although I was mildly disappointed to see that not all of the original cast would be returning.

The plot details of Magic Mike XXL aren’t terribly important, are they? Anyone going to see this movie isn’t concerned with such matters, I’m almost certain. Suffice it to say that the titular Mike has made a post-stripping living for himself designing furniture, while the remaining “Kings of Tampa” (sans McCounaghey and Alex Pettyfer) are still giving the ladies fits on stage. Mike has been somewhat reclusive, and his old friends have to dupe him into a reunion. When they finally reconnect, the guys convince him to go on a farewell tour of sorts, one last big hurrah before parting ways again.

The guys’ swan song will take place at a huge male stripper expo, and they have a long road trip ahead of themselves to get there. Mike thinks they need to liven up their act with new material and gains inspiration after dropping in on old friend Rome (Jada Pinkett, The Women), a club owner who provides a unique experience for women who patronize her risqué establishment. With McCounaghey’s Dallas no longer in the picture, the guys need an emcee for their show, and Rome eventually obliges.

The bulk of the movie depicts the camaraderie amongst the guys while intermittently treating the audience to eye-popping gyrations from Channing Tatum, who is quite obviously the superior dancer and unquestionable star of the film. Tatum doesn’t really “do it” for me, but I can’t deny the heat his performances generated. The audience at my viewing was packed with giddy, squealing women who had a boozy good time howling at the screen. I wondered how they would behave at an actual strip club, since the movie had them acting like they’d never seen a real live man before. What else can I really say about Magic Mike XXL? If you enjoyed the first one; surely you’ll like the sequel. The dialogue and acting faltered at points, but the fraternal chemistry among the cast and sizzling dance routines made the film largely enjoyable. Straight men, this one isn’t for you (Duh). Grade: B

 

Dope

Seems like those coming-of-age “day in the life of” movies are some of the most memorable. The awkward, pressure-filled years of high school make for entertaining subject matter, and Dope gave me that nostalgic feeling, hearkening back to classic movies like House Party, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and Risky Business, where hapless high school students find themselves in a sticky situation. Set against a unique yet familiar California backdrop, the movie was a cool homage to 90’s culture with enough current hipster-isms to be perfectly relevant to today’s times.

Malcolm (Shameik Moore), Diggy (Kiersey Clemons), and Jib (Tony Revolori) are three 90’s-obsessed best friends living in Inglewood, California. In the microcosmic world that is high school, they’re considered geeks – but their love of hip hop from the recent past is ironically as cool as it gets. Malcolm is aware that his story is clichéd: he comes from a single-parent household; never really met his father, and lives in a rough neighborhood. He distinguishes himself by going against the grain in both the company he keeps and their shared avant-garde musical pursuits. Unfortunately, their punk band’s biggest fan is probably the school custodian. Malcolm is college-bound, hoping that his stellar grades and SAT scores will secure him admission to Harvard.

Has there ever been a geek in a movie that didn’t predictably pine away for a beautiful girl presumably out of his league? Nakia (Zoe Kravitz, Fury Road) is the object of Malcolm’s affection, an older girl from the neighborhood who similarly aspires to more than her surroundings. When they cross paths and she casually invites him to a party – Malcolm and his crew know they have to be there. At the party, Malcolm inadvertently gets tangled up with the local dope boy and finds himself in a crazy predicament that threatens all the hard work he’s done to prepare for his future.

I don’t want to spoil too much of the plot, but suffice to say that Dope was a fun ride. The soundtrack featured much of the music I grew up with, and most thirty-somethings and 80’s babies alike will appreciate the song placement as well as the characters’ affinity for the culture. There are some notable names attached to the film, as Forest Whitaker is credited with producing and narrating. Additionally, Pharrell Williams is an executive producer, and his musical influence on the young trio’s aesthetic is obvious. Sure the plot went left a couple of times – but this is not a movie to be dissected. I was surprised to see so many older people of varying backgrounds in the theater – so maybe this film has universal appeal for anyone who remembers their awkward (or awesome) high school days. Dope was dope. Grade: A-

Entourage

When it comes to television, no one does it better than HBO. From iconic series like Sex and the City and The Wire to current shows like Game of Thrones, the venerable network is the standard bearer. One of my favorite shows was Entourage, an HBO series produced by Mark Wahlberg, which aired from 2004-2011. The series was loosely based on Wahlberg, centering on fictional star Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier, The Devil Wears Prada) and his band of brothers from Queens, NY. Although the series faltered in later seasons, I stuck with it for the duration and greatly anticipated the feature film. I enjoyed the movie and think longtime fans of the show will be pleased; however, it may not resonate as much with new viewers.

The movie begins with an effective synopsis of the main characters, with writer/director Doug Ellin picking up as if we’re tuning in for the latest episode. Vince is rebounding from a Hollywood marriage that lasted about as long as the common cold; Eric (Kevin Connolly, Secretariat) is expecting a baby with his ex Sloan, Johnny Drama (Kevin Dillon, Poseidon) is still carving out an existence as a B-list actor, and Turtle (Jerry Ferrara, Think Like a Man Too) has impressively amassed an empire through Avion tequila. Vince’s sharp-tongued agent Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For) has proven to be the rainmaker we knew he’d be, and all is right with the world. Vince has always fancied himself an artist, and the trappings of fame have never made him compromise his creative integrity. To that end, he’d like to fulfill his dream of being a true auteur by directing and starring in his own film. Personally, I thought it was a stretch for the character – but in the land of Entourage Vince’s dreams are going to come true.

Problems arise when Vince’s movie needs additional financing, and Ari has difficulty securing it from the man holding the purse strings, a Texas billionaire played by Billy Bob Thornton. Ari makes it painfully clear to Vince that he’s overextended and that if the movie flops, both of them are finished in Tinseltown. When their financier’s piss-ant son (played by a pudgy Haley Joel Osment) threatens to scrap the movie, Vince and Ari must find a way to salvage it all. Meanwhile Eric awkwardly juggles a couple of women and Turtle courts MMA fighter Ronda Rousey.

Entourage has always relied heavily on the escapism factor, and that was on full tilt here. Keeping with the series, the movie was littered with cameos, from rappers to actors to athletes. The whole thing was over-the-top hedonism, but it felt good to see Vince continuing his customary lifestyle we’ve come to enjoy. It wouldn’t make sense to make a movie where Vince had fallen off, especially after his character experienced a brief professional and personal downturn in the latter seasons of the show. We’ve seen what it looks like when Vince is down and out, and I don’t think that would’ve made sense for a feature length film.

The movie put a nice neat little bow on the series, and it will be rewarding for fans. However, if you’re going into the movie “cold,” I’m not sure you’ll catch all the references, characters, and inside jokes. You won’t appreciate or fully understand the journey and you won’t be invested in the characters or the rather flimsy plot. Sure, the bawdy, gaudy lifestyle is entertaining, but I don’t think it’s worth the price of a movie ticket. In sum: it’s a must-see for Entourage fans, and a Redbox pick for everyone else. Grade: B+

 

Mad Max: Fury Road

Wow. I saw Mad Max: Fury Road about a week ago and as time passes I like it more and more. The trailer mildly intrigued me with its eye-popping cinematography, bolstered by the promise of Tom Hardy (The Drop) and Charlize Theron (A Million Ways To Die in the West), both of whom have been impressive in action-packed roles. I was just a little shorty doo-wop when the 1985 iteration of Mad Max was released, so I’d never seen the post-apocalyptic desert tale. Sci-Fi is not my favorite genre, but it felt lazy to just dismiss Fury Road as being similar to the explosive tripe we’ve come to expect from Michael Bay recently –although there was no shortage of explosions. Undoubtedly this movie won’t be for everyone, but it was a weirdly awesome treat, a beautiful, minimalist non-stop ride.

Mad Max was unique in that there was little dialogue and not much overt plot development. A few early, key scenes clued me in to the overall plot, and the rest of the movie just flowed naturally from its initial premise. Hardy stars as the titular Max, while Theron is Imperator Furiosa, aligned with the evil Immortan Joe, a ruler who emerged after an apocalypse decimated the earth leaving only sand behind. Fuel and water are at a premium, and Joe lords the precious commodities over the poverty-stricken lower class. Joe enslaves the people he rules and even those he holds closer, having a harem of young women with whom he procreates.

When Max escapes Joe’s clutches, he sends his gang of minions out to retrieve him. Furiosa has been dispatched, but inexplicably veers off course. The rogue Furiosa and desperate Max become unexpected allies, both railing against crippling oppression. Furiosa has Joe’s harem in tow, liberating the young women while searching for her homeland, a utopia known as the Green Place, where water and life abound. The movie is largely one big pursuit, as Max and Furiosa traverse a vast stretch of desert, beautiful while reflecting the barrenness of the times.

Mad Max was intense, characterized by the stark punk rocker imagery of the characters and their desperate, survivalist behavior. It was a visceral experience with nary a moment of calm. There were no lulls in the movie, and my senses were assaulted for nearly two hours. Director George Miller masterfully depicted futuristic warfare while employing modern twists on traditional elements of the battlefield. During the Revolutionary War, colonial soldiers may have marched forward while sounding a war drum or bugle. Here, Immortan Joe employs a rocker affixed to the front of his vehicle, shredding away on a blaring electric guitar. Awesome.

Here, the landscape was just as much of a character as Max and Furiosa. The setting was one of the most stunning aspects of the film, and there was a weird paradox at play. The desert shows no sign of vitality. Yet it’s coppery beauty was something to behold, utterly mesmerizing. If you think weird is good, this is the movie for you. There was literally never a dull moment, and I felt like I got my money’s worth. It was a visual treat not to be missed. Grade: A

The Avengers: Age of Ultron

This is my favorite time for movies, even more so than the so-called Oscar season. Summer blockbusters might not be the most critically acclaimed movies, but they sure are entertaining, and with me that counts for a lot.

Marvel has proven successful in bringing the iconic heroes of comic book lore to the big screen. The Avengers franchise combines some of the most individually popular characters for one collective ensemble of awesome star power. 2012’s The Avengers was wildly successful, leaving little doubt that a sequel would be forthcoming. Last weekend I got to check out the highly anticipated sequel The Avengers: Age of Ultron, the first blockbuster of the season.

The sequel finds our heroes more comfortable with each other, as their shared chemistry reveals an amiable familiarity and easy rapport. Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Captain America (Chris Evans), and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) complement each other perfectly, and the opening scene highlights their collective strength. The movie begins with the Avengers attempting to infiltrate a base controlled by Hyrdra, the rogue sub-agency within SHIELD. Despite the aforementioned chemistry, the Avengers face a new challenge as they encounter two uniquely worthy foes. Hydra has trained a pair of orphaned twins to counter the Avengers. They are gifted with super speed and telepathy, respectively – and their initial salvo against the Avengers deals the crew a crippling early blow.

The opening scene was successful, because it was action-packed and wasted no time giving us what we wanted. However, the convoluted plot is introduced in the first fifteen minutes, and I found myself struggling to piece it all together. I’ll try to recount it for you, giving only the most pertinent details. Tony Stark and Bruce Banner had been working on new technology in the form of Ultron, an elite global peacekeeper with enhanced capabilities on par with the Avengers. When combined with an element from Thor’s home planet, Ultron comes to life ahead of schedule, but he has been corrupted with evil. He is not a peacekeeper, rather he seeks to destroy the planet – and the Avengers are no match for him. Ultron disables Tony’s trusted cyber soldier Jarvis, and he is hell-bent on going from a computer program to a physical being. The bulk of the movie follows the Avengers as they try to thwart his efforts and save the world.

Age of Ultron strives to give us a deeper insight into the insecurities and personal lives of the Avengers. Natasha has a thing for the good Dr. Banner. Hawkeye actually has a family, and perhaps Tony is the most layered of all. He feels guilty about having created Ultron, but his ego won’t allow him to completely abandon the technology or the ambition that allowed him to create it. The team becomes fractured, as vulnerabilities are revealed. For example, it’s not often that Captain America and Thor get their asses kicked, but the twins and Ultron prove too difficult for them, and even the Hulk. If they want to defeat their enemies, they will have to work together and trust each other.

The film’s first act simply captivated me with the action-packed fight sequences, but the plot details quickly became muddled. Admittedly, plot is secondary in movies like this – but it was confounding nevertheless. At first I thought it was dope, but by the time the credits rolled I thought the movie was just pretty good. The storyline was deficient, but the action and chemistry amongst the cast mostly made up for it. Of the recent Marvel entrants, I thought Thor 2 and Iron Man 3 were among the worst. Avengers: Age of Ultron is definitely better than those, and I put it on par with Captain America: The Winter Soldier. It’s worth checking out. Grade: B+

 

Focus

Will Smith (After Earth) is becoming uniquely polarizing. In the beginning of his career, I would’ve wagered that almost everyone loved his affable personality and charming one-liners. Now, it’s hit or miss. Some think he tends to overact or rely on a certain “schtick” in his movies; but I’m still a fan. I appreciate his charismatic humor, and I knew what to expect from his latest movie Focus, a slick caper co-starring Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street).

The movie begins with a happenstance meeting between Robbie’s character Jess and Smith’s Nicky. Jess is a budding hustler, but quickly meets her match in the seasoned Nicky. After her amateurish attempt to con him, Nicky agrees to show her a few tricks of the trade. From grifter to pickpocket, Nicky has the hustler’s full repertoire and takes Jess under his wing, bringing her in on his latest hustle in New Orleans. Equal parts gambler, swindler, and magician – the silver-tongued Nicky approaches his craft with keen precision.

The second act of the film finds Nicky and Jess honing in separately on the same mark, but for very different reasons. They’re used to playing dangerous games, but the easiest way to get yourself killed is to steal from the wrong person – and one wrong move could make this con their last. Neither is willing to back down from a potential score, but for once is Nicky out of his league? His scheme goes awry when Jess is added to the mix, and their feelings for each other compromise their judgment. Sometimes you have to know when to just walk away.

While Focus was largely entertaining, I can’t say it was completely original. Of course Nicky and Jess have smoldering chemistry from the start. Just look at them. While their sexy banter made sense, it was almost too obvious. The two became an item nearly immediately, which didn’t leave much room for the characters to develop romantically. Admittedly I was surprised when Nicky abruptly ended their brief criminal courtship early on, but it was only a matter of time before they crossed paths again.

I enjoyed Focus, but it’s largely a forgettable movie. It was entertaining, and the plot twist caught me off guard, so I’d say it surpassed my meager expectations. It ranks solidly in the middle of Smith’s catalogue, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Robbie and Smith have undeniable chemistry, and the pair is rumored to reunite in the upcoming Suicide Squad. That film should reinforce Smith as the action hero we’ve come to love, and propel Robbie’s ascending star even further. In the meantime we have Focus, which won’t set the world on fire but was definitely worth watching. Grade: B

A Most Violent Year

The 80s were an interesting time. If you ask people what they most remember about the decadent decade, they will probably mention Reagan, inflation, the dawn of MTV, or defining moments in American culture like the Challenger explosion, Reagan’s assassination attempt, or the Iran Contra scandal. The 80s were also a violent time, even before the crack epidemic created a new class of criminal. The early 80s were especially dangerous in major cities like New York, with 1981 being one of the most violent years on record, at the time. Writer/director J.C. Chandor (All Is Lost) explores this tumultuous period in his atmospheric film A Most Violent Year, starring Oscar Isaac (Inside Lewyn Davis) and Jessica Chastain (Interstellar).

Isaac stars as Abel Morales, the bootstrapping, self-made owner of a profitable heating and oil company. He’s looking to expand his business, attempting to broker a real estate deal with some powerful Jewish members of the community that will grant him direct access to the city’s ports. Things get complicated when his oil truck drivers begin getting carjacked and Abel loses one truck after the other. The thieves’ brazen lawlessness leaves Abel’s drivers vulnerable and threatens his real estate venture. Rather than arm his drivers with guns to defend themselves, Abel tries to quietly investigate – much to the chagrin of his fiery wife Anna (Chastain). Chandor hints throughout the movie that Abel is involved in some shady business dealings, and this seed is planted further when a district attorney named Lawrence (David Oyelowo, Selma) threatens indictment for a slew of offenses ranging from fraud to bribery. The course of the film follows Abel as he tries to find the culprit behind the robberies and stave off indictment while preserving his real estate negotiations.

A Most Violent Year seemed promising based on its trailer and cast, namely Oyelowo and Chastain. Featuring the soulful sounds of Marvin Gaye’s classic “Inner City Blues,” the trailer hinted at a gritty, atmospheric tale, and that same earthy melody played over the opening credits. What song better captures the harsh realities of an unforgiving metropolis? However, despite its moody cinematography and intriguing premise, there were parts of the film that just didn’t excite me. The film smoldered throughout, but it never ignited in the way I thought it would. For example, Abel seemed to bury his head in the sand in the wake of the truck robberies. How is it believable that someone so seemingly passive in one facet of his life could be so shrewd and ambitious in other aspects? I understand wanting to leave a certain lifestyle behind, but how did you ascend to current heights if you never stood up for yourself? In a way, the film never lived up to its provocative title.

Another thing I disliked about the film was the disjointed nature of certain scenes within the context of the larger plot. When Abel finally finds out who is behind the truck heists the revelation is very unsatisfying and just doesn’t make sense, in my opinion. It simply doesn’t fit with the picture Chandor painted earlier in the movie. For some reason (and maybe this is my fault), I thought the movie would be in the vein of Carlito’s Way, but it wasn’t nearly as exciting. I’m not saying a movie has to resort to cheap thrills to hold my attention – but I was rather underwhelmed. However, the aforementioned criticism must be balanced by the positive aspects, which should not be understated. First, the cinematography was excellent. The movie looked like 1981 in every way; it looked like it came out of a vault. The sepia undertones were haunting and almost beautiful. The tone of the film was perfect, and it was superbly acted. For those reasons, I can’t say it was a bad film. It just wasn’t what I expected. Grade: B

Selma

I can’t begin to know the struggle of a filmmaker. I’m only attempting to be a screenwriter and thus far have found the process very challenging. It must be difficult to craft a film from start to finish, finding a way to hold the viewer’s attention while delivering a compelling a story. Now imagine how much more demanding your task would be if your film centered on a heroic, legendary fixture in American and global history. Such was the task before director Ava DuVernay in her depiction of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Selma isn’t the first film about Martin Luther King, but it does offer a unique perspective behind the man and the movement. Rather than craft a comprehensive biopic spanning his lifetime, DuVernay focused on an all-important slice of his life, the pivotal time in which he spearheaded passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. By narrowing the scope, DuVernay provided a fresh insight that hadn’t been previously offered. Moreover, she captured a more personal, intimate side of a larger than life public figure. Given the recent spate of incidents of police brutality against young Black men, the timeliness of the film cannot be overstated, and one couldn’t help notice the parallel between the scenes of civil unrest and protest in the movie and recent images in the news. Moreover, with more and more states enacting local laws restricting the right to vote, Selma rings true today.

The film begins powerfully, first highlighting the absurdly unjust hurdles Black Americans were forced to overcome in order to vote. DuVernay then left the viewer with no doubt about the racial climate by depicting the infamous bombing of four little girls in a Birmingham church. For younger viewers these images may have been jarring, as I can’t assume what people do and don’t know about their history. And when I say “their” history, I mean all young people, regardless of race – because Selma is a portrayal of events in American history, not just Black history.

DuVernay juxtaposed the historical accuracies with a uniquely intimate dramatization of King’s personal life. We’re introduced to him not at the pulpit delivering a fiery speech, but rather in a warm, private moment with his wife Coretta. As he prepares to accept the Nobel Prize for peace, he complains to Coretta about his ostentatious attire. She soothingly reassures him, as only a wife can. Small touches like this may go unnoticed amidst the more powerful, violent images that punctuate the film – but I was struck by the manner in which DuVernay made the legend more accessible.

The film operates within the strategic confines of King’s calculated plan for Selma. His aim was to focus on Selma and protests there so that he could bring national attention to the violent and unconstitutional manner in which Blacks were being denied their right to vote. Then-President Johnson was politically reticent about sweeping change, so King had to apply pressure by keeping the violent images plastered on the front page of the newspapers that littered America’s collective doorstep. His plan was effective, and ultimately Johnson enacted the single most significant piece of legislation of the Civil Rights Movement.

Selma humanized King in a way that brought him down one step from his pedestal without besmirching his legacy. We see that he was a man, with fears and flaws. He and Coretta had problems like any married couple. He had moments of doubt and insecurity, yet he was brilliant in his strategy to the point of shrewdness. I didn’t feel like the movie deified him, though the glorious nature of his character was undeniable. That is due in large part to the gravitas David Oyelowo (Interstellar) brought to the role, though the Academy has overlooked his contribution this year. Both he and Carmen Ejogo (The Purge: Anarchy) were mesmerizing on screen, coloring their scenes with restrained chemistry.

The subject matter alone would make this film a must-see, but it’s technically sound as well. The cinematography and storytelling were nearly perfect, and performances from the likes of Tom Wilkinson (The Grand Budapest Hotel), Tim Roth (Arbitrage) and Oprah Winfrey (The Butler) in a brief but powerful cameo only strengthened the final product. If you weren’t well versed on the history of the Voting Rights Act or Civil Rights Movement then obviously this movie is one you should see. If you were, it’s a reminder of how far we’ve come, although we still have some work ahead of us. Grade: A

American Sniper

I don’t have the highest opinion of Clint Eastwood (Trouble With the Curve) when it comes to his political leanings, but I cannot deny that his legendary status in Hollywood was cemented long ago. His illustrious body of work includes seminal roles in some of the most iconic films in modern American cinema, but in the second half of his career he has proven to be even more skilled behind the camera, giving us a horde of Academy Award winning films from Million Dollar Baby to Mystic River. In American Sniper he paints a harrowing picture of the devastating effects of war, offering an unflinching glimpse into one man’s heroic service.

Bradley Cooper (American Hustle) gives a tour-de-force performance as Chris Kyle, the deadliest sniper in American military history. Like fellow S.E.A.L. Marcus Luttrell (portrayed by Mark Wahlberg in last year’s Lone Survivor) Kyle’s exploits have become the stuff of lore, and both have been subsequently immortalized in film. We are introduced to Kyle as a typical salt of the earth Texan. Spurred to enlist after 9/11, Kyle undergoes grueling boot camp preparation before being deployed to Iraq for the first of four tours.

Two of the most heart-stopping scenes in the film perfectly captured the split second judgment calls he had to make as a sniper. In the first, a mother and son are alternately carrying a missile, and he is forced to eliminate them both. The boy couldn’t have been older than 8, and Kyle took his life with little hesitation. The other scene also involved a child and a weapon, but this time the outcome was different. One is left with the startling realization that Kyle could accept either scenario with no compunction. Kyle was fearless and resolute in battle, but like many soldiers, he found stateside re-acclimation challenging. His relationship with his wife Taya (Sienna Miller, Foxcatcher) was strained because he was often absent, leaving her to raise their two children alone. Taya felt that he’d prefer the company of his comrades to his own family, a notion that Kyle did little to dispel – particularly after returning for a third and fourth tour of duty.

I realize that whether or not you lionize or demonize a particular sniper probably depends on what side he’s fighting for. As the title indicates, American Sniper is heavy on American notions of valor and patriotism. I personally don’t buy into the “rah rah America” narrative, and I choose to evaluate the film on its cinematic merits rather than the propaganda it pushes. That aside, I never questioned Kyle’s belief in the task before him, and I commend him for his unwavering service. Some have expressed an opinion that snipers are cowards, but Chris Kyle didn’t just hide behind his rifle – he got his hands dirty too.

Cooper has easily given the performance of his career, equaling his Oscar nominated turn in Silver Linings Playbook, and surpassing his work in American Hustle. He’s shown flashes of greatness throughout his career and has outdone himself here. His physical and emotional transformation was amazing, and he completely embodied Chris Kyle, from the brawny physique to the Texas drawl. His character’s emotions hurtled from one extreme to the next, and Cooper was pitch perfect throughout. His character’s post-traumatic stress was authentic, and we watched him grasp at normalcy upon his return. This type of film can easily become overrated, due to its subject matter. I think it’s a movie people will want to like, but notions of patriotism aside – I thought it was a well-crafted film that relies heavily on its star, whose presence was undeniable. I think 2015 is off to a good start in film. Grade: A-