Clint Eastwood’s beautiful adaption of the story of Chris Kyle, America’s most lethal sniper is a must watch. The film not only focuses on the remarkable story of an American hero, but also shows the effects that war has on everyone involved.

After a limited release of the film in December, American Sniper was released to the public on January 16, 2015 and had a January weekend record breaking 93 million dollars in box office.

Bradley Cooper, who stars as Chris Kyle, does an amazing job portraying the struggles Kyle had faced during his four tours in Iraq, while also showing his love for his country and the brothers and sisters that fought next to him. Kyle had 160 confirmed kills in his tours in Iraq, making him the deadliest sniper in American history. His longest shot was 2100 yards.

The film also shows the many battles Kyle had with PTSD and how that affected his everyday life with his family.

At first, I questioned the decision to cast Cooper in such an intense and emotional role. While his performances in movies such as Silver Linings Playbook were great, I wasn’t entirely convinced he could play a role as big as this. However he proved me wrong and the dedication Cooper had put into this role definitely showed on screen.

While the film did have some flaws, specifically the moment when director Clint Eastwood decided to use a fake baby during what was supposed to be an emotional moment between Kyle and his wife, overall the movie was phenomenal. Never have I been in a theater where every single person was silent as the movie ended.  The movie is so surreal because it shows a lifestyle many of us can’t even imagine which will leave the viewer speechless.

American Sniper is easily one of the best movies I have seen in a while, if not ever. The focus of Chris Kyle’s legacy should be about how many people he saved. He believed it was his job to save as many Americans as he could. He is, in my eyes and in many others’, the true definition of a hero.