Entertainment

Film Review: American Sniper

Published

9 years ago

January 12, 2015

Reporter II

Luke Grimes and Cory Hardrict as play young G.I. s in the war drama American Sniper.

By Dwight Brown
NNPA Film Critic

This well-produced but flawed bio/war/drama follows the armed forces career and subsequent malaise of ex- Navy Seal Chris Kyle. He was a legendary sniper who did four tours of duty in Iraq. His steely, icy demeanor gave him a steady aim, but didn’t protect him from the fragile aftermath of war, particularly Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The film fluctuates between his achievements in battle and is ordeal back home.

Telling Kyle’s story is the purview of filmmaker Clint Eastwood, who directed Flags of Our Fathers and Letters From Iwo Jima and is well acquainted with the war film genre. As was the case with those aforementioned films, Eastwood’s style is never climactic. He prefers a moderate pace and a straightforward style that doesn’t add anything new to the game. Helicopters buzz over Iraq. Soldiers on both sides of the battle are killed. But nothing stands out and everything appears routine, considering it’s war. The proceedings lack the verve and staccato pacing that made Katherine Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty a jaw-dropping experience. His languishing, overly choreographed, and pat approach makes the footage feel flat and undistinguished.

After a grueling training, Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) becomes a Navy Seal sniper. A sharp shooter as a kid, his skill peaks in Iraq where, he can protect platoons by accurately shooting a hostile target from as far away as a football field. Deadeye? The man kills 160 insurgents. When fellow soldiers praise him, Kyle is never less then humble. His subdued demeanor is the exact opposite of the anger and rage he incites from enemy forces who put a price on his head. No wonder they call him “Legend.”

Kyle’s Navy Seals, who’ve teamed up with brave Marines, find something to focus on in the helter skelter war. It’s the demonic Al Qaeda terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and his maniacal partner The Butcher (Mido Hamada); the latter tortures victims and snitches with power drills. As Kyle and his crew hone in on the new enemies, a sharpshooter, whose talents rival Kyle’s, scopes them out. Mustafa (Sammy Sheik), a Syrian sniper, has Kyle and his men in his crosshairs. First one to pull the trigger wins.

The script by Jason Hall, based on the bestselling autobiography by the real Chris Kyle with Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice, has plenty of slow, forward motion. When things get too tense, the plotline throws in a flashback for relief. Kyle meeting his soon-to-be-wife Taya (Sienna Miller) in a bar, trips back home on leave, the birth of two sons, phone calls from the front lines; these mini scenes flesh out the imperfect human man behind the perfect aim – to varied affect.

You get a vague sense of the soul of this heroic soldier who tries to balance a dangerous existence with an infrequent family life. But it’s hard to feel compassion for him. He’s too strong a man. If the story followed a weaker person, perhaps a less successful marksman trying to prove himself with a save-the-day shot, he’d be a more compelling protagonist. As is, there’s an emotional shield around Kyle that is impenetrable, even as he descends into a living hell: “It’s not the people you saved that you remember. It’s the ones you couldn’t save. Those are the faces and situations that stay with you forever.”

Bradley Cooper’s performances are not known for their range. He lacks the emotional wallop and elasticity of a Christian Bale. He’s O.K. as the goof in the Hangover series. He stumbled across a golden opportunity with Silver Linings Playbook and turned that part, as an ex-mental patient with a bipolar disorder, into the role of a lifetime. However, he does nothing to get you under the skin of Chris Kyle. Nothing. He packed on weight for the role, but that girth isn’t a substitute for an intuitive or gifted character interpretation.

Sienna Miller, in only glimpses as the reluctant girlfriend turned into the concerned wife/mother, shows more depth and proves far more capable of cementing her dutiful and increasingly alarmed spouse persona. She is Kyle’s only beacon out of his darkness. She is believable. Ben Reed as Wayne Kyle, the weaker younger brother, acts the part; never as strong, smart or good as his sibling. Sammy Sheik (Lone Survivor and TV’s 24) as the stealth shooter Mustafa rarely speaks but powerfully commands the screen. Luke Grimes (Taken 2) and Cory Hardrict (Gran Torino) as play young buck soldiers with a very credible G.I. swagger

Tom Stern’s (Changeling) cinematography, Joel Cox (Unforgiven) and Gary Roach’s editing and the production design by Charisse Cardenas and James J. Murakami (Changeling) make the visuals impressionable. If the film has any air of realism, it’s because of their contributions. Clint Eastwood composed “Taya’s Theme,” the main theme music, which enhances the film in the right places. His taste in music is impeccable.

There will be better films that explore PSTD. They’ll be better if they focus on a sympathetic soldier and not a cold-blooded killer. They’ll be better if a filmmaker with more vigor and innovation directs them. Also, if you see this film and walk out the theater feeling like you just watched 134 minutes of pro-war propaganda, it means the film failed as a character study because it spent too much time on the battlefield.

Visit NNPA Film Critic Dwight Brown at DwightBrownInk.com.

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Oakland Post: Week of May 8 – 14, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May May 8 – 14, 2024

Published

6 days ago

May 10, 2024

Oakland Post

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Community

Rajah Caruth: Young Trailblazer of NASCAR

Imagine you’re only 22 years old and already making a name for yourself in NASCAR, one of the most thrilling sports in the US. That is the life of Rajah Kirby Caruth, an American professional stock car racing driver.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Rajah Kirby Caruth, an American professional stock car racing driver. (File Photo)

By Tamara Shiloh

Born June 11, 2002, in Washington, DC, he was drawn to the sport as a child after seeing the Disney Pixar film “Cars.”

Caruth dreamed of tooling around the track like the main character in “Cars,” Lightning McQueen. His enthusiasm grew when his parents surprised him with a trip to the NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway when he was 12.

In 2018, while keeping busy with school, sports and a summer job, Caruth and his family held fundraisers so that he could buy an iRacing simulator. Then, at age 16, he traded a real driver’s license to race virtually in the eNASCAR Ignite Series, which led to him being recruited by the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program.

His first big opportunity came in 2019 when he competed in a “Legends” car at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Bojangles’ Southern Shootout and recorded two top-third in the semi-pro points.

People began to recognize Caruth’s talents. In 2020, he stepped up to the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series and became the first African American to win at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in a late model race. The next year, he won at Tri-County Motor Speedway and picked up his fourth overall late model victory.

Then, he became the first person of color to win at the South Carolina track.

In 2021, Caruth announced he would compete full-time in the ARCA Menards Series East for Rev Racing, where he finished third in the standings, including a series of top-five finishes. He made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut on a bigger stage as well.

Then, in 2022, thing really took off. A new chapter found Caruth at NASCAR’s unofficial Triple A league with GMS Racing, where he drives full-time for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, with a sponsorship from The Wendell Scott Foundation. After a few setbacks, he broke into the top 10 several times, finishing at a career-high 6th at Darlington Raceway.

Fast-forward to 2024, and Caruth’s took the third major step in his career. He is now driving full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Spire Motorsports and has been making the news for putting on stellar performances. Oh, and he won at Las Vegas: his first career victory.

From an impressionable young racing fan to a professional NASCAR driver, Caruth is charting a new path, creating history, and inspiring people to always remember that if you have the talent, the drive, and most of all, the heart, anything can be achieved.

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Bay Area

Mayor Breed Proposes Waiving City Fees for Night Markets, Block Parties, Farmers’ Markets, Other Outdoor Community Events

Mayor London N. Breed introduced legislation on April 26 to encourage and expand outdoor community events. The first will waive City fees for certain events, making them less costly to produce. The second will simplify the health permitting for special event food vendors through the creation of an annual permit. Both pieces of legislation are part of the Mayor’s broader initiative to bring vibrancy and entertainment to San Francisco’s public right of ways and spaces.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Outdoor community events are integral to San Francisco’s vibrant culture and sense of community. iStock image.

Mayor’s Press Office

Mayor London N. Breed introduced legislation on April 26 to encourage and expand outdoor community events.

The first will waive City fees for certain events, making them less costly to produce. The second will simplify the health permitting for special event food vendors through the creation of an annual permit. Both pieces of legislation are part of the Mayor’s broader initiative to bring vibrancy and entertainment to San Francisco’s public right of ways and spaces.

Outdoor community events are integral to San Francisco’s vibrant culture and sense of community. These events include night markets, neighborhood block parties and farmers markets, and bolster the City’s economy by supporting local businesses and attracting tourists eager to experience San Francisco’s unique charm and food scene.

They offer residents, workers and visitors, opportunities to engage with local artists, musicians, and food vendors while enjoying the San Francisco’s stunning outdoor spaces and commercial corridors.

The legislation will allow for more and new community gatherings and for local food vendors to benefit from the City’s revitalization.

“San Francisco is alive when our streets are filled with festivals, markets, and community events,” said Breed. “As a city we can cut fees and streamline rules so our communities can bring joy and excitement into our streets and help revitalize San Francisco.”

Fee Waiver Legislation

The events that can take advantage of the new fee waivers are those that are free and open to the public, occupy three or fewer city blocks, take place between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m., and have the appropriate permitting from the ISCOTT and the Entertainment Commission.

The applicant must be a San Francisco based non-profit, small business, Community Benefit District, Business Improvement District, or a neighborhood or merchant association. Fees eligible for waiver include any application, permit, and inspection/staffing fees from San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, Department of Public Health, Fire Department, Entertainment Commission, and Police Department.

Currently, it can cost roughly anywhere between $500-$10,000 to obtain permits for organized events or fairs, depending on its size and scope. Organizations and businesses are limited to a maximum of 12 events in one calendar year for which they can receive these fee waivers.

Food Vendor Streamlining Legislation

The second piece of legislation introduced will help special event food vendors easily participate in multiple events throughout the year with a new, cost-effective annual food permit. Food vendors who participate in multiple events at multiple locations throughout the year will no longer need to obtain a separate permit for each event. Instead, special event food vendors will be able to apply and pay for a single annual permit all at once.

“Many successful food businesses either begin as pop-up vendors or participate in special events to grow their business,” says Katy Tang, Director of the Office of Small Business. “Giving them the option for an annual special event food permit saves them time and money.”

Currently, food vendors are required to get a Temporary Food Facility (TFF) permit from the Department of Public Health (DPH) in order to participate in a special event, among permits from other departments.

Currently, each special event requires a new permit from DPH ranging from $124-$244, depending on the type of food being prepared and sold. Last year, DPH issued over 1,500 individual TFF permits. With the new annual permit, food vendors selling at more than four to six events each year will benefit from hundreds of dollars in savings and time saved from fewer bureaucratic processes.

“This legislation is a step in the right direction to make it easier for food vendors like me to participate in citywide events,” said Dontaye Ball, owner of Gumbo Social. “It saves on time, money and makes it more effective. It also creates a level of equity.”