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Chris Kyle remains a polarizing figure in American history, even after his death. On the one hand, he is currently ranked as the most lethal sniper in our country’s history and no doubt saved countless American lives during his multiple tours. But on the other hand, many consider him a bigoted man who refused to see both sides of a complex war in Iraq; it was entirely black and white to him and America was without-a-doubt in the right. It doesn’t take more than a quick Google search to see this dichotomy in the public’s opinion. And don’t even get me started on the whole Jesse Ventura thing…

In any case, that’s not the story being told in American Sniper.

This is not a look at war and how there are various shades of grey to good and evil. This is not a look at country and religion and the perception that neither are infallible. No, this is a movie about one man’s point-of-view in a modern war and how that war changed him forever. It’s about not being able to ever completely turn the soldier side of yourself off even when you are back at home and safe. Truly, the question being asked here is what would killing over a hundred people do to you as a person, not whether you were justified in those killings in the first place.

Bradley Cooper plays Kyle in this film from Clint Eastwood, and while it’s clear that both men wanted to honor and respect Mr. Kyle for his bravery, this is not a particularly political film. Eastwood’s subtle and unassuming style works wonders in that regard and I especially like his choice of not showing Kyle’s death, but rather the actual footage of his funeral. Those images are powerful, even if you didn’t like the man. And while I am partial to his character in Silver Linings Playbook, this may be Cooper’s best role to date. His reluctance and uneasiness with some of the impossible choices he’s forced to make really elevate this movie. Also, for what it’s worth, his Texas accent never once bothered me and that’s saying quite a lot.

So, if you remove some of the more controversial areas of a man and choose to only see war as he did, does that make for a compelling movie? In this case, I’d say so, but I still prefer Eastwood’s Letters from Iwo Jima as a more complex and complete war film. If you haven’t seen that, I’d definitely recommend checking it out.

On a side note, can soldiers actually call home during missions? It repeatedly happened here and every time it took me out of the movie.

I’ll do us both a favor and start this review off by assuming that you know all about The Interview‘s hacking scandal. I’ll also add that I’m glad Sony ultimately decided to release the film (albeit in a unique way) and that it’s kind of exciting to (legally) be able to watch a film this big from my house day and date with its theatrical release.

Now, with that out of the way, I’ll cut to the chase: This is not a good movie.

I had heard that test audiences hadn’t been kind to it, but I enjoyed Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s first effort at directing, This is the End, and in general, I like Rogen and James Franco as actors, so I figured I’d still give it a shot.

The plot, such as it is, revolves around Franco as a talk show host who craves celebrity gossip and big, juicy scoops. So, when he and his producer, played by Rogen, unexpectedly find themselves in a position to interview Kim Jong-un (who is a big fan of their show), he jumps at the idea. The CIA, however, decides to use the opportunity to assassinate the North Korean leader. Hi-jinks ensue.

One of the problems I have with The Interview is that it relies on too many strange, awkward setups for jokes that never really pay off later on. Does “honey potting” really need to be a recurring gag? Or how about hearing a Katy Perry song over and over again only to have it be used in a more literal way during the film’s climax? Is that funny or is it just lazy writing? It’s as if they’re saying, “Hey, remember when we said that thing earlier? Well, we’re referencing it now! Aren’t we clever?”

Still, as bad as the paper-thin plot is, it’s not even the worst thing about this movie; that would be Mr. Franco. He’s so over-the-top and ridiculous that you can’t believe this is someone who has been nominated for an Oscar. Every note he hits is false and he really tested my patience with his obnoxious behavior. I’m not sure if that’s due to the way his character was written or if it’s just him improvising, but whatever it is, it’s absolutely terrible. Ironically, Randall Park as Kim Jong-un made me laugh the most. Read into that what you will.

I know many of you will probably see this movie simply because of the controversy surrounding it, but you’ll most likely walk away disappointed. If you want a better example of the kind of film this one wants to be, or if you are trying to be patriotic or something, then rewatch Team America: World Police. The puppets give much better performances.

What were you doing last Wednesday? Was it raining? Are you sure? Name every single person you talked to that day. Now try doing that for a random day six weeks ago, now try 15 years ago. Oh and did I mention, you can’t check your cell phone? This is the beauty and the absurdity of the podcast Serial, which is available in its entirety at serialpodcast.org

The podcasters try to unwind and “solve” a murder that took place in Baltimore in 1999. A high school girl goes missing and is eventually found in a shallow grave in a wooded park. Police suspect her ex-boyfriend, and are given a tip that seems to confirm their suspicions. Long story short, he’s convicted and has been in prison ever since, all the while maintaining his innocence. Much remains unanswered and there are many people who feel that he was wrongly convicted. I’ll stop there with the details, I don’t want to spoil anything and the show is better at explaining it anyway. I think the more interesting aspects of this show are not the cell phone records, or endless police interview tapes, but rather the peak it gives us into just how complex real life (and real crimes) can be.

Everyone in this story, including the man convicted of murder, is sympathetic. They are also all highly suspect. This is in large part due to the intense scrutiny placed on every single detail, and there are lots of details. No one’s life can stand up to that kind of study. The minutia washes over you like a wave, its almost too much at times. But it really makes you feel like you know these people. All those random bits also have a way of keeping you hooked. “Could that be it? Is that the clue that’ll break this case?” We have all been so programmed by movies and TV shows that we can spot the killer in act one, and we can guess which clues matter and which ones don’t. All those scripted formulas don’t apply to Serial, some times a random detail is just a random detail. It makes for a rich story but a maddening puzzle, which I guess is the same thing.

The second piece that makes this show so compelling is that they are making it as they go. They were still investigating when they started airing episodes. So they themselves don’t even know the outcome. Its like a true crime investigation being broadcast in real time. By the end they even have witnesses contacting them because they heard the show. Its odd, but very exciting. You feel as if you are along for the hunt, and the host doesn’t know anymore than you do.

Its also a strange thing to try and put yourself back in 1999. Cell phones are not that common with high schoolers, cars don’t have GPS, and social media doesn’t exist. Investigators now would just check Facebook and see who checked in where to create a timeline of events, but back then it was all just witness testimony. Every kid now would have a dozen selfies from lunch that are geotagged with their exact coordinates. But back then it was “I think they left together, or maybe separate, I’m not sure.” This limits the paper trail, which limits verifiable facts. This can feel very cool, they have to actually go interview people like old school detectives. But sometimes its just annoying, why don’t they just check her- oh right she didn’t have a cell phone. An 18 year old girl who didn’t have a cell phone, so strange.

If you watched The Killing you’d swear they got the idea for that show from this podcast. If you like old school radio dramas or Prairie Home Companion you’ll like this show. If you also happened to enjoy Truman Capote’s writing you’ll like it even more. The ambiguity of this show is part of the reason its so frustrating, and so addictive. I hope you’ll check it out, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

PS: The SNL sketch parodying it could not have been more perfect, be sure to look that up too.