American Sniper. (Spoliers)

I like a good war film, and find I can generally suspend my political objections long enough to enjoy some action and heroics, so I was kind of looking forward to something good from Eastwood. The guy who gave us Unforgiven telling the story of a man who killed 255 people (and by his own admission enjoyed it) [redacted]. Should be good.

But it was just a dull, characterless, episodic, plodding TV Movie-esque flag waving exercise. Best Actor nominee Bradley Cooper’s entire characterization of Kyle seemed to consist of slack jawed mumbling and cock eyed, red faced squinting. And apart from his wife, there were basically no other characters in the film even worthy of a name.
Crap.

Bravo on the spoiler, still time to edit it

Bravo on the spoiler, still time to edit it
Really, tell you what, best not spoil Titanic for you as well.

it’s a true story, how do you think the OP should end it? 😀

telling the story of a man who killed 255 people (and by his own admission enjoyed it) who is ultimately elected the Honourable Member for East Riding in the next UKIP govenrment.

Really, tell you what, best not spoil Titanic for you as well.
POSTED 4 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST
Stoner – Member
it’s a true story, how do you think the OP should end it?

Amazing fact, not everyone knows everything, it will be a spoiler to lots of people.

It was a spoiler to me.
I did a project on the Titanic at school though, so I know what happens to the boat.

I did a project on the Titanic at school though, so I know what happens to the boat.

Did it cover whether Rose made it or not?

I thought it was going to be a story of one of the world’s top twitchers.

Pook – Member

Bravo on the spoiler, still time to edit it

Seriously?

Did it cover whether Rose made it or not?

Who cares about flowers on a bloody boat.

It was a spoiler to me.

And me. I’ve edited the OP now, problem solved.

Really, tell you what, best not spoil Titanic for you as well.

Or other historical films, like that one about the American submarine that captured the Enigma Machine in World War 2.

Did it cover whether Rose made it or not?

I think some dodgy Irish shipbuilders made it.

So far I’ve been put off watching this.

I don’t mind war films, even though deep down I know war is a sort of collective mental illness – but celebrating someone for killing more people than anyone else, well it doesn’t really sit well with me.

Plus, well how do you put it – the guy was, at least at times, a total fantasist.

I see a few Hollywood people have dared to question the merits of celebrating killing at it’s a bit of a flag waving propaganda thing – and been firmly put back in their box.

I’d read his autobiography (which obviously ends differently it seems from the OP) and was looking forward to the film. I certainly would have been surprised by the ending

chomp I certainly would have been surprised by the ending

It was international news. Honestly, I’m surprised you would read someones biography, then not know ….how shall I put this….how they made news headlines around the world.

EDIT: I will quickly add for the people who are critical of me adding spoilers, or ruining the film, that “the spoiler” as it’s described was something I knew about prior to watching it and it in no way changed my view of the film. It’s something I’d wager 99% of Americans will know about when they go to see the film, and it has no influence on, nor does it affect the narrative of the film in any way.

I did a project on the Titanic at school though, so I know what happens to the boat.

But I thought they were going to leave it open for a sequel though, ‘Titanic II, the Iceberg Strikes Back’ with a global warming theme before intersecting with the long running Hindenberg franchise (Aliens v Predators stylee) for ‘Titanic versus Hindenberg – Eau de Humanity’

But I thought they were going to leave it open for a sequel though, ‘Titanic II, the Iceberg Strikes Back’ with a global warming theme before a intersecting with the long running Hindenberg franchise (Aliens v Preditors style) for ‘Titanic versus Hindenberg – Eau de Humanity’

Bin dun, mate.

Apologies for spoilers on that one. The film poster is a bit of a giveaway.

I’d read his autobiography (which obviously ends differently…

Autobiographies almost never end with the author being elected the Honourable Member for East Riding in the next UKIP govenrment.

🙂

“I’d read his autobiography (which obviously ends differently it seems from the OP) and was looking forward to the film. I certainly would have been surprised by the ending “

Sorry i really did laugh at that 😀

So you are telling me he didn’t die at the end of his autobiography!

Speshpaul
So you are telling me he didn’t die at the end of his autobiography!

He had a ghost writer. B’doom Tish!!

“He had a ghost writer. B’doom Tish!!

Jimjam, you’ve just won the internet for a day….. carry on as you see fit 😀

he killed 160 didnt he, but i agree. was left wondering what all the fuss was about. decent enough film to kill a few hours but never award worthy.

but never award worthy.

The same as 99% of films that get awards then.

jaffejoffer

he killed 160 didnt he

160 confirmed. The other 95 were probable kills, where military eyewitness verified him shooting someone but a kill couldn’t be confirmed due to the Iraqi crawling away, or being carried away by his buddies, for example. At least that’s my understanding of it.

The same as 99% of films that get awards then

Not really,but carry on thinking that 🙄

Maybe Sniper only got put on the short list so that Clint could pick up a prize.

asthaggis
Not really,but carry on thinking that

Maybe Sniper only got put on the short list so that Clint could pick up a prize.

He’s already won best picture twice, and best director for Unforgiven.

Doug Stanhope linked a story on Facebook recently that seemed to prove an awful lot of the book was fabrication (by testimony of others, not identified in the book, breaking silence and putting their side of the story). Couldn’t really be bothered to watch it after reading that.

EDIT: Found a link HERE

jaffejoffer – Member

he killed 160 didnt he, but i agree. was left wondering what all the fuss was about. decent enough film to kill a few hours but never award worthy.

I believe he had 160 kills which were confirmed – as in someone else saw whoever he shot actually die, or found dead later – obviously during battles and whatnot it’s not always possible to do all that and I suppose it’s a bit of a dickhead move to go about putting yourself in harms way to count corpses – actually I’m not sure if anyone of authority has ever confirmed them – it’s the number he gave in his book for confirmed kills – ‘actual’ figures of people he killed if you include the probably (and believe him) are nearer 300. It’s sickening number really, but I concide in times of war it’s “him or me” or in his case “him or my mate”.

As far as I’ve read all that is legit – and his real life actions weren’t as bad/ heart wrenching as the film portrays – I’ll avoid spoilers – but in the trailer it shows him scoping a child carrying a bomb of some type and hints that he may or may not have shot him – it didn’t happen like that in real life, but he never claimed it did.

It’s what happened afterwards that hurts his credibility – he claims he once punched out Jessie ‘the body’ Ventura – the bloke from Predator who carried the mini-gun thing – who was it seems a real life special forces type when he was young over some slur or other – didn’t happen. He also claimed he was a victim of a attempted pick-up jacking whereby two armed men attacked him, he disarmed and killed them both – didn’t happen and most chilling I think he claimed that during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina he travelled to New Orleans, set up on top of the Super Dome and killed dozens of looters and other wrong ‘uns. Also didn’t happen.

I suppose he might have just been unable to handle the fame and BS a lot when he was under pressure, or it was a kind of PDST or maybe he just wanted to be the ‘all American bad ass’ some people seem to love. They certainly gushed over him on ‘Sons of Guns’.

It’s something I’d wager 99% of Americans will know about

I’d wager that 99% of our readership isn’t American.

I’m not about to spend the entire day redacting spoilers, so I’ll stick a warning in the title instead.

1 – not seen it
2 – not read the book
3 – not aware of the story
4 – not one of 99% of Americans
5 – not one of 1% of remaining Americans
6 – was going to see it
7 – now might not bother
8 – it’s not much to ask to take out the spoiler

Pook – Member

1 – not seen it
2 – not read the book
3 – not aware of the story
4 – not one of 99% of Americans
5 – not one of 1% of remaining Americans
6 – was going to see it
7 – now might not bother
8 – it’s not much to ask to take out the spoiler

Well Pook, I am sorry if I’ve inadvertently spoiled your experience of going to see a film about someone you’ve never heard of, based on a book you’ve not read, which was a biography of someone you know nothing about. Obviously it’s a subject you’re very interested in, so your disappointment is understandable.
For what it’s worth, I did know the whole story, and since the film is based on his exploits during the war, not after it, my knowledge of the outcome had no bearing on my enjoyment (or lack of ) of the film at all. So please, don’t let the fact that you know know something about the man portrayed in the film put you off going to see the film. It’s not an M. Night Shymalan film where there is some unexpected twist, or mcguffin. simply googling the man’s name results in instantaneous, obvious spoilers.

brassneck

EDIT: Found a link HERE

Your link contains spoilers 😐

I like Clint Eastwood as both an actor and director but I’ve heard this latest one is similar to that awful Bin Laden Zero Dildo Twenty propaganda film in a very “‘Murica hell yeah” kind of way.

Eastwood is pretty patchy as a Director, some of his stuff is pure snoozefest.

Saw it at the weekend, very much worth watching Team America afterwards to put it into perspective / context.

agree with op, terrible film.

Also watched Fury last night, equally awful for similar reasons.

I think generally I’m more frightened of Americans/America, than Islamists.

I think generally, I’m more frightened of Americans/America, then Islamists.

Imagine the biggest arsehole you know then give him a gun and the God given right to do whatever he wants.
Edit, obviously there are nice ones as well.

I’ve just imagined Piers Morgan’s suicide.

Watching it made me hate it.