Movie Review Madness: American Sniper

Pennsylvania boy Bradley Cooper and English rose Sienna Miller are darn good actors. They pull off Texan in American Sniper without a fake drawl. Number one in the nation, this movie directed by Clint Eastwood deserves its Oscar nomination and perhaps has a chance to win. It’s sneaking up in the opinion polls. This is based on a true story, and the book of the same name.  

Chris Kyle, an all American Texas boy, had a good eye as a hunter under his father’s direction. Then as a Navy Seal, under Uncle Sam’s eye, Chris Kyle is credited with the most kills of any sniper in history. His four tours in Iraq are a portrait in heroism, and, as the movie shows, a portrait of a very human mortal man. Clint Eastwood guides this movie in an objective fashion – no obvious agenda shows. We have a lot of reasons to admire Chris Kyle, and a lot of reasons to say, “Time to say stop, time to go home to your wife and kids. It’s okay.” Eastwood shows the pressure on soldiers, and the effects of battle.  

Bradley Cooper is fantastic and very worthy of his Oscar nomination. He’s a gung-ho young man who matures before our eyes, and ages into a weary wary man. From what I understand, he captured the essence of the real Chris Kyle. American Sniper is superbly filmed, and keeps you on the edge of your seat. You inhale and exhale with Kyle, and you pray that a kid does not pick up a rocket launcher. The tension is palpable and the movie audiences are quiet, totally absorbed in the action. The performances are all nuanced, not stereotypes. This is a rich film, and a snippet of history.  

American Sniper is very worthy of the big screen. You’ll come away with your own opinions of war and its human aftermath, etc. But you won’t question the powerful movie you saw and the excellence of Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper. You will exhale slowly as you exit the cinema.  

July Junque: Movie Review Madness - Jersey Boys

sing classic July junque tunes

 

Sherry, Sherry baby………..everyone kicks into this song with their best falsetto. But there is only one Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. Jersey Boys, based on the Tony award winning Broadway musical, is now on screen. It’s a well directed film by Clint Eastwood, who was smart enough to cast dudes who can sing – the real Broadway actors. Too often musicals stretch with a Hollywood actor/singer and you can’t disappear into the story. Kudos to Clint.  

John Lloyd Young (Frankie Valli), Michael Lomenda (Nick Massi), and Vincent Piazza (Tommy DeVito) are young punks trying to get out of their small Jersey town. Frankie cuts hair by day and sings at night. Tommy’s the charmer, working the gigs, grooming Frankie, spending the bucks, and has the goods that fall off the truck. He rolls in and out of Rahway prison with a smile on his face. But everyone looks out for Frankie. He even brings the local capo (a great Christopher Walken) to tears with a version of Your Mother’s Eyes.  

But they need a real band name, and an original songwriter. Enter a buddy, Joe Pesci (yes, the one who becomes an actor). Joey knows this Bob Gaudio (Erich Bergen) who can play, sing, and write. The group meet and while Tommy senses leadership competition, they agree to take on Bob. Kaboom – with the right record producer, gigs on American Bandstand, tours galore and songs like Sherry, Big Girls Don’t Cry, and Walk Like a Man The Four Seasons should be raking in the dough.  

Jersey Boys goes behind the scenes of the group’s story. We see the wife’s alcohol problem, divorce, the daughter’s drug issues. Daddy’s on the road and she’s missing out on fatherly guidance and love.

 

Tommy’s gambling problems cause huge money issues, strife, and breakup of the group. We see the guys grow from kids on the street to men dealing with fame and turmoil. The film shows the grinding hard work, and the need to perform.  

Frankie sings, he chases the music, and eventually goes it alone. We finally see the group meet up at the Rock ‘N Roll Hall of Fame Induction. Bad feelings are put on the back burner with handshakes and hugs. And then they sing again, and that voice of an angel soars. It’s tough to beat a real live Broadway production, but the Jersey Boys film does a darn good job of keeping your toes tapping. You’ll go home and break out that falsetto – Sherry, sherry baby………