Last weekend, I had the option of either seeing Jupiter Ascending or American Sniper. Since Ascending is getting less then favorable reception from both critics and audiences, I decided to join the masses and check out American Sniper. And I must say, I was not disappointed.

Directed by Clint Eastwood, American Sniper follows the true story of Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper), a cowboy from Texas. Due to his overwhelming patriotism, Kyle joins the Navy and becomes a sniper in the Navy SEALs. The movie follows both his exploits overseas as the sniper with the highest confirmed kill count in U.S Military history, and his adventures at home raising kids with the girl of his dreams, Taya (Sienna Miller). While the movie does feature intense action and gripping tension, most of the movie is spent with Kyle as he tries to balance his devotion to his country, his love for his wife and family, and his growing posttraumatic stress disorder.

First and foremost, the acting is superb. Bradley Cooper gives the best performance of his career, beating out his performances in the fantastic Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle and giving the real life figure of Chris Kyle a sense of realism and truthfulness. As he sits behind the sniper scope, you can see the effect each kill has on him as he pulls the trigger. Sienna Miller also gives a great performance as the loving wife who wants nothing more than to be with her husband, a man who puts country before family. If Interstellar featured some of the best acting of 2014, American Sniper will hold the bar up high for 2015 movies when it comes to acting.

Visually, the movie is incredible. American Sniper doubles as both a character analysis and a war movie — and as a war movie, American Sniper prevails. Each war scene is well done, but not unwatchable, and there is no excess of unnecessary blood or gore, unlike a certain famous war film (yes, I’m looking at you, Black Hawk Down). The effects are more practical than CGI based — every helicopter and airplane is really there, not added in post production. The directing is also great – the camera work and visual style is stunning to watch. Like Interstellar, the sound and visuals are half the experience.

Unfortunately for a music buff like myself, American Sniper doesn’t feature a standout soundtrack, which is a bit of a downer. But more often than not, the scenes in this movie (particularly battle scene and tense sniping scenes) are better without music — much better experienced hearing only shouts and the sounds of battle.

The film may be hard to watch if you’re not a fan of cringe-worthy moments. I watched this film with my family, and my mother almost had to leave during a few controversial scenes — but hey, this is the woman who didn’t like The Lego Movie because she thought the main character died. Nonetheless, a few scenes are difficult to watch, so I don’t suggest it to those who can’t handle a few cringe-worthy moments.

American Sniper is, of course, based on a book, an autobiography by the real life sniper, the late Chris Kyle. I do wish certain moments from the book had occurred in the film (Chris’s experience getting pulled over by a cop on 9/11 being one of these scenes) but I’m nonetheless both satisfied and surprised how much from the book actually made it in the film, such as the Punisher logo on the unit’s vehicles and uniforms and the accurate first meeting of Taya and Chris (down to the exact dialogue).

American Sniper may work on the battlefield and behind the sniper scope, but the movie really triumphs when there’s no gunfire or yelling. I found myself waiting anxiously during his tours overseas to see more of him and his family and the drama that unfolds there. Now don’t get me wrong, I like a good battle, and the overseas moments don’t bring the movie down, but I just found the tension between him and his wife is far more interesting than him cracking jokes with his fellow soldiers.

Did I have any complaints? Well, to be honest, very few. I didn’t even have any little nitpicks. This movie did just about everything right, and I can’t think of any way it could be done better. Sure, the overseas tours dragged on a bit too long, but that isn’t the movie’s fault. And sure, I wish the movie had mentioned a bit more from the book, but that also isn’t the movie’s fault, since it had a specific runtime to meet or else it would seem overlong.

Overall, I’m more than satisfied with American Sniper — I’m really grateful that I saw such an excellent movie. I’ll give American Sniper a rare 5 out of 5 stars, and a recommendation to anyone looking to see a good war movie or a strong drama. Although it may not be the best movie I’ve ever seen, it certainly is the most impactful.