First Trailer for AMERICAN SNIPER

In what will be director Clint Eastwood's second film this year he has teamed with Bradley Cooper who both stars as the titular sniper and serves as producer. Having read an interview in which Cooper discussed his one, brief conversation with Chris Kyle (the real life Sniper whose memoir this film is based on) before he was killed at a shooting range by a troubled Marine veteran, it is clear the actor understood he took on a great responsibility with this role. Eastwood hasn't necessarily been on fire with his films as of late, but this certainly carries a different tone. One can pick up on the precision with which this has been constructed and the care that has been taken by the tone of the trailer alone. Not only has Cooper transformed himself physically into the bulky, 6'2" Kyle but he has also seemed to inhabit the mind of a man who had to have what it takes to make a split second decision that determines the course of another human life. It is a responsibility that Cooper conveys with minimal resources here and frankly, seems to have given a performance already worthy of serious awards conversation. This may seem true because it is so clearly not his motivation yet if Cooper has proved anything over the past few years it's that he's full of surprises and I wouldn't be shocked if he walks away with a statue. The one cause for concern is screenwriter Jason Dean Hall who has previously penned Spread and Paranoia; not the best résumé builders. American Sniper also stars Sienna Miller, Jake McDorman, Luke Grimes, Navid Negahban, Keir O’Donnell and opens in limited release on December 25th before expanding wider on January 16.



Synopsis: From director Clint Eastwood comes “American Sniper,” starring Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle, the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history. But there was much more to him than his skill as a sharpshooter. U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle is sent to Iraq with only one mission: to protect his brothers-in-arms. His pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and, as stories of his courageous exploits spread, he earns the nickname “Legend.” However, his reputation is also growing behind enemy lines, putting a price on his head and making him a prime target of insurgents. He is also facing a different kind of battle on the home front: striving to be a good husband and father from halfway around the world. Despite the danger, as well as the toll on his family at home, Chris serves through four harrowing tours of duty in Iraq, personifying the SEAL creed to “leave no man behind.” But upon returning to his wife, Taya Renae Kyle (Sienna Miller), and kids, Chris finds that it is the war he can’t leave behind.