American Sniper (book)

American Sniper written by Chris Kyle.

After watching movie I had to get out and get the book and read it.  His life haunted my mind after the seeing the movie and did the same after I read the book.

A good biographer that fully captures Kyle's personality and it written in a conversational type of way that makes reading it easy.  It also captures a perfect glimpse behind the closed doors of being a SEAL and how that job affects a person both positively and negatively.  Kyle didn't shy away from showing how it affected it at home and in the field.  It is a warts and all type of book.  I don't read a lot biographies but this one was one of the best ones I've read.  I also liked the few places where his wife interjected  her thoughts into what was going on.  My one critique of this book is that I wish it had had more of her voice throughout because it gave a good balance to this thoughts.

American Sniper

American Sniper directed by Clint Eastwood, starring Bradley Cooper and Siena Miller.

I've been trying to summon up my experience watching this movie.  It's not the best war movie I've ever seen but it is one of the better war films I've seen in a long time.  I remember sitting on the couch when the final frame had ended and just watching most of the credits roll by, as I contemplated on what I'd just seen.  This isn't so much a war movie as a movie about the effects of war on a person and on a family - that is the real message of this movie, along with giving a glimpse into the life of Chris Kyle. I've since gone out and read his autobiography and another book about SEAL Team Six that killed Bin Laden.  Make no mistake this movie is just a glimpse but it is a great glimpse of a man who really loved his country, loved his job, and loved his family.  There are many added scenes or added characters in this movie for the sake of it being in done in Hollywood but none of them take away from the message of the movie or from Chris Kyle's life. 

Bradley Cooper is completely transformed physically into Chris Kyle and it's some of the best acting of his career. His presence is dominating in his movie from a physical and emotional standpoint.  He breathes life into Chris Kyle as many scenes he has to sell the internal struggle of the character with nothing but his facial expressions - no voice over narration helping him at all.  At times it is like a silent movie in this regard and Cooper rises to challenge in remarkable ways.

Eastwood does what he always does when he gets behind a camera - directs with an maturity not found in to many directors now-a-days. For a man his age he still continues to make some really good movies and stages these action scene with such great communication.  There was never any doubt or confusion from me as to what was going on in those scenes - old school directing will always be better than then new style of hand-held direction.

The only real criticism I'll give at this film is that I wish they had included 2 - 3 more scenes of dialogue with him and his wife.  This would have strengthened their relationship more, thus reinforcing his comments of love for her and wanting to get back home. It would also strengthened her as a character to where she didn't as many crying or shocked looking scenes.  I think this would have made the movie even better and more powerful.  Seeing her as more than just a standard female character and their relationship as real would have really help to sell the war scenes and heartache she goes through on those the phone conversations between him and her.

After reading his autobiography I personally think a TV show based on his four tours would be a gripping watch. 

Good movie that deserved all the praise it got but didn't deserve any of the harsh political comments tossed its way.  

Mr. Turner

Mr. Turner directed by Mike Leigh, starring Timothy Spall, Paul Jesson, and Dorothy Atkinson.

Mike Leigh is one of the better directors out there right now.  His movies span all sorts of topics as he never directs the same movie twice.  He is also not what one would call a typical commercial director.  His subjects and topics do not have mass appeal but for some reason he keeps getting financed for more movies - this is not a bad thing at all because his movies are always interesting and beautiful to watch.  Here he tackles the last decade or so of the life of the British painter Mr. Turner who was known for capturing the effects of sun light and light in his paintings.   

Mr. Turner is by far his most visually stunning movie to watch.  The movie itself is shot in a style that seems to mimic the paintings of Mr. Turner by doing this Leigh lets the viewer get inside the mind of Mr. Tuner as each frame of the film isn't just about the life of Mr. Turner but a window into his creative process.  It works remarkably well.  Timothy Spall is memorizing as Mr. Turner as the story doesn't shy away from a warts and all type of story telling as Turner walks the line of genius,  eccentric, and slightly insane all at the same time.  By doing this his character becomes completely fascinating.  Even though this movie spans a couple of decades I was never in a loss as to the time jumps or what was happening on screen, which means Leigh's ability of communication between director, viewer, and story line was being handled with effectiveness.  It was clear he had a good grasp on the story and characters.  He wasn't afraid to let his characters be who they are within the story. They never changed their personality on a situation.  They remained true to who they were.  There's not a lot movies, directors, or writers that aren't that confident in their story and characters to let them be who they are.  More people seem swayed by public opinion, Hollywood, and money to worry about stuff like that - gladly Mike Leigh is not one of those directors and it's one of the reasons his movies will continue to be fascinating and intriguing.

Here's to more Mike Leigh movies.

The Theory of Everything

The Theory of Everything directed by James Marsh, starring Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, David Thewlis, and Emily Watson.

One of the better biographical movies I've seen that doesn't just take a certain time period of a person's life and present it.  This film spans decades from when Stephen Hawking is diagnosed with his disease up until present day or there about.  Most movies I've seen that attempt this sort of time jump lose focus on character and end up telling all kinds of stories revolving around the main character instead of focusing on the main character.  Normally they end up a jumbled mess.  This film never looses the focus of the movie, namely between the relationship of Jane and Stephen Hawking.  They are the center of this story.  Their relationship forms the foundation this movie is about and this movie is all the better for it.  One thing truly rises above everything going on this movie - that is the courage and fortitude of Jane as Stephen was originally only given 2 years to live.  They still got married and he lived well beyond 2 years.  Stephen is the focus of the movie as his disease and persona do fill up everything but it is Jane arises as the hero. One of the best ways this film does this is by showing the trials she has to overcome to be married to Stephen.  The film doesn't beat this into the viewer but just shows the viewer how this disease has impacted not just Stephen's life but Jane's as well.  It's one of the few films I've seen where they didn't rely on narration to explain things but just let the images speak for themselves.

All in all it was a good movie from the direction, acting, and storyline.