Film: True stories

Well goodness, we have certainly found ourselves in the middle of a chilly January! Although at time of writing we have yet to see snow, it is assuredly mightily cold in our fair city. Even under the bright lights of the TV studio the cold temperatures prevail.

I have come to realise, however, that my chill is not in any way helped by an extreme love for watching Christmas films – as much as seeing snow falling on embracing couples warms the heart, it does nothing for the chill in one’s fingers! And so, I am resolved, let us for the moment only speak of warmer things.

… not only great heat but great performances

Two new films out this week, Wild and American Sniper, involve not only great heat but great performances – the type that command one’s attention. Wild is a tour de force for Reese Witherspoon as she plays Cheryl, an ex-addict undertaking a 1,100 mile solo hike in order to recover from a recent catastrophe. The film was screened as part of the CineCity festival in December and those who managed to catch it spoke incredibly highly of Witherspoon’s performance.

The film is based on the memoir Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed, and is brutally honest. It perfectly balances the emotional torment that leads Cheryl to abusing heroin and sleeping around in flashbacks with the emotional salve of extreme physical hardship.

American Sniper is also based on a true story: Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle spends a decade saving the lives of American marines in Iraq by taking out any and all possible threats, including women and children. His pinpoint accuracy turns him into a battlefield legend with the highest ever kill rating.

Back home, however, he finds that he cannot leave the war behind.

Bradley Cooper, recently seen doing some sterling work in, well, almost everything last year, plays Chris Kyle. Sienna Miller, making a surprise return to being allowed to actually act, plays his wife, Taya. The real Chris Kyle was killed in 2013 at a shooting range whilst attempting to help a veteran with severe PTSD, but Cooper’s method acting has been said to be so good that the Navy SEALs who worked with Kyle and trained Cooper said they felt their friend’s presence.

Tune in to PostFeature on Latest TV, on Wednesdays at 6.30pm and 8.30pm to see if the film, too, is up to snuff!