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MAY 2015 JB Hi-Fi
048
Both a massive box office hit and
a movie that the US gun lobby
would love, Clint Eastwood’s
biopic on Navy SEAL Chris
Kyle, the most lethal marksman
in US military history with
over 160 confirmed kills, is
both a powerful war film and
an affecting character study.
American Sniper shares much in
common with The Hurt Locker
in confronting the emotional
fallout experienced by individuals in sustained combat
situations. Each tour of duty in the Iraqi war zone takes
its toll on Kyle, leaving him haunted and unable to
reconnect with family and civilian life. Bradley Cooper
is fantastic as Kyle; he’s the heart and soul of this
film, delivering the kind of knockout, Oscar-nominated
performance that blurs the line between actor and
character. Eastwood, a war movie veteran both before
and behind the camera, deftly alternates between the
explosive action sequences and the quieter moments
on the homefront. If you don’t already know how Kyle’s
story ends, the film’s subtle and poignant conclusion
will pack a cruel punch. • See page 32
In the line of fire.
AMERICAN SNIPER
“Sometimes it’s the people no one
imagines anything of who do the
things no one can imagine.” One
such person is Alan Turing, the
irascible genius and mathematician
who played a pivotal role in the
Allies’ defeat of the Third Reich
during World War II. Played by
Benedict Cumberbatch (with more
than a hint of his Sherlock TV
persona) in The Imitation Game,
Turing is one of a number of math and chess experts
assembled by the British government to break the German’s
unbreakable Enigma code – a seemingly impossible task
given the complexity of the Nazi ciphers. With the support
of Churchill and the only female member of the group (Keira
Knightley), Turing sets about constructing a cumbersome
codebreaking contraption that proves to be the forerunner
of the modern computer. Boasting a quality supporting
cast including Mark Strong, Charles Dance and Matthew
Goode, The Imitation Game is British history directed
by a Norwegian (Morten Tylden, who made the terrific
Headhunters) and streamlined to appeal to a wide audience.
Far from a stuffy period drama, this is compelling,
(code)cracking entertainment. • See page 40
Cracking the code.
THE IMITATION GAME
DVD & BD
One Soldier’s Story
BD ONLY
The Making of American
Sniper
The Hurt Locker
EXTRAS
FURTHER VIEWING
Release Date: 27/05/15
Format:
DVD & BD
Audio Commentary with
Director Motren Tyldum and
Screenwriter Graham Moore
Deleted Scenes
BD ONLY
The Making of The Imitation
Game – Featurette
The King’s Speech
The ‘bombe’ machine,
‘Christopher’, seen in the film
is based on a replica of Alan
Turing’s original machine,
which is housed in the museum
at Bletchley Park.
Winston Churchill stated
that Alan Turing made the
single greatest contribution in
Britain’s war effort.
EXTRAS
DID YOU KNOW...
FURTHER VIEWING
Release Date: 06/05/15
Format: TOP
HITS
TOP
HITS
visit REVIEWS DVD&BD
Bradley Cooper really wanted
to do justice to the physical
size of Chris Kyle because he
felt he would not be accurately
portraying the man if he did not
look huge like him. His workouts
were designed to give him
increased size but not muscle
definition. He said he built up
his physique not by bodybuilding
but just by hardcore Olympic
lifting. Cooper ended up going
from 185 pounds to 225 pounds
for this role.
DID YOU KNOW...