American Sniper

American Sniper is obviously getting a lot of media attention and on the 2nd weekend of its release, all the Saturday evening showings were sold out at a downtown Toronto theatre. I am glad I finally did get to see it as I am a huge Clint Eastwood fan, but not much of a "war film" fan.

I have not read the autobiography the film is based on, so I do not understand a lot of the reviews. The film was entertaining and very graphic. All the performances were great (very natural, believable, seamless)

Although I do not ethically or politically agree with the war in Iraq, I appreciated the fly-on-the-wall view of Seals in combat as well as their reintegration into their civilian lives (whether they are returning maimed physically or mentally)

It was great to see the hardship of the woman (wife) at home who loved him depicted on film, not as an after-thought, but as a central issue in the film.

Was this my favourite film of the year? No, but it was an interesting look into the life of someone I've never met and probably never will.