American Sniper Review

Is America's deadliest sniper really a hero? Millions of Americans undoubtedly think so. If the sound of his sniper rifle rung out over your head when you were serving in Iraq, and one of his precisely aimed bullets saved your life, no doubt you would think so too. But to some, Chris Kyle was a man who killed a lot of people in a country he should never have been in in the first place. He killed these people to save his fellow American soldiers and to protect the country he loved. His tours in Iraq earned him a bounty on his head and the nickname The Devil of Ramadi from those who feared and hated his ability with a sniper rifle.

American Sniper is based on Kyle’s own memoir so it gets right under the skin of this seemingly simplistic man. He’s a Texan cowboy told by his father to be a sheepdog rather than a wolf or a sheep. He joins the marines because he sees American embassies being attacked on TV. He shoots to kill with barely a thought for the people, their stories, their circumstances or their motivations in the foreign land he ends up in. He is addicted to saving his fellow soldiers, even if that means sacrificing countless days away from his wife and young children.

Bradley Cooper is sensational as Kyle, while Sienna Miller offers memorable support as his suffering wife. It’s a tragic true story with Clint Eastwood keeping things incredibly tense both back home and in the rubble of Iraq. Whether you will feel that Kyle turned out to be a wolf preying on the weak or a sheepdog who protected those in need will be a matter of your personal politics but his motivations, particularly after the war, appear admirable, even if the whole reason for the war remains dubious. The final heart-breaking shots of real footage in the film will undoubtedly unite most in a sense of grief and loss.

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London Film Festival 2014

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Antibiotics, potholes and the Iraq war

The Yahoo Contributor Network keep inviting me back to write about various topics and most recently I have been wading in on topics as varied as the effectiveness of antibiotics, the state of Britain's roads and their many potholes and my complete and utter shame at the war in Iraq. Sorry film lovers this post has nothing to do with films!

In the antibiotics article, I was asked to write about my experience and so I have gone into great detail about how antibiotics were dished out to me to cure my chest infections but I actually think they may have done more harm than good. While I'm sure antibiotics are vital in many cases, I think perhaps they may not have been needed in my case. Perhaps it is my fault for bugging the doctors but I was fed up of having chest infections and desperate for an end to them. I don't think antibiotics did much to battle my chest infections. After four separate courses of antibiotics failed and left me with upset stomachs and a resistance that might put me at risk if I get a dangerous infectious disease in the future, I decided a lifestyle change was the answer.

Then I took the opportunity to write about the state of British roads and how I feel about the amount of potholes we have and the cost that has been estimated to fix them. I've got to be honest, I don't care that much about the state of of our roads. We should be grateful that they are as good as they are when there are other countries in the world in far worse states. What bugs me is the shocking way our government wastes money on stupid shit like far off wars in other countries. If they didn't waste money on that, then the roads would likely be in a far better state.

Which leads me to the final article on my thoughts on the Iraq war ten years after we started it. It made me angry even writing about it and I'm still angry typing this now. If you want to read my feelings, then please read my article called The Iraq war and my shame.

I hate even calling it the Iraq war. When my wife got back from Vietnam she told me how the Vietnamese don't call it the Vietnam War, they call it the American War. I guess most wars would have to be called The American War these days or the British War and that would get confusing so instead it's the Iraq war. Anyway enough! Sorry film fans. Back to normal in the next post hopefully!