I chose to watch American Sniper because my parents saw it when it was in theaters and raved about it for at least a week after that.  My mom described it as terribly sad and said that everyone in the theater was speechless when the film ended.  I was not exactly excited to watch something that would leave me speechless, but was nonetheless eager to see for myself if it really had the power to do so.  I tend to automatically like movies a little more going into watching them, if I know they are based on a true story.  This makes them more impactful, especially with stories like this, because your mind has to try to grasp and accept the fact that these events actually happened.  At 84 years old, Clint Eastwood nailed the direction of this film.  I also believe that Bradley Cooper portrays the talented soldier in Iraq extremely well.  His character becomes known as The Legend, as he repeatedly discovers hidden weapons and human targets with precision and artistry.  It bothered me that he lacks sympathy and emotion towards his family during his short periods of time at home in between his Iraqi tours.  Cooper's character is incomplete and somewhat unresponsive without his rifle and enemy target.  There is a fair amount of long shots (panoramas) throughout the film, which I thought were captivating and help the viewer get a better sense of the bigger picture in the midst of chaotic shootouts.  I am not always a huge fan of closeups, but I though that the ones of Cooper in this film were nicely done because they made me feel more connected to his character, Chris.  I would recommend this movie to anyone because it is based on such a strong and impactful true story.  I give it a 9/10 (My dad gives it a 9.5).