How many calls does it take to release a single hellfire missile? How many approvals does it take to sanction the potential death of an innocent in order to kill high-profile terrorists and therefore prevent a terrorist attack from happening? For an average citizen, all these logistics seem to be a straightforward "due process." Eye in the Sky, however, tells that it is never simple. It is a meticulous decision making done by military personnel and government, all of whom having their own moral and political ideologies. Director Gavin Hood (Ender's Game, Tsotsi) and screenwriter Guy Hibbert offers no easy choices here. Eye in the Sky is a highly compelling thriller film that opens doors for conversation the moment you leave the theaters.
Colonel Katherine Powell (Helen Mirren) commands an operation tasked with capturing a group of high-level Al-Shabaab extremists meeting in a safe house in Nairobi, Kenya. When Powell's team discovers the terrorists prepping suicide vests inside the compound, she decides to change the mission objective from "capture" to "kill". However, such revision in the "rules of the engagement" requires approval from several officials across the globe. Circumstances further escalate when a native young girl (Aisha Takow) enters the blast radius. Meanwhile, drone pilot Steve Watts (Aaron Paul), along with his partner Carrie (Phoebe Fox), shoulder the burden of clicking the trigger and unleashing the hellfire missile. In this time-sensitive political buck passing, everyone has a chance to play god and decide the fate of others'. No matter what decision they choose, one thing is for sure: there will be ramifications and no one will leave emotionally unscathed.
Eye in The Sky builds its momentum in an excellent pace. Although the characters are in different locations, the use of phone and conference calls make them appear as though, they are all in the same room. As the philosophical ping-pong ensues, this film removes any bias and empathizes on each key player. Helen Mirren's steely- eyed character embodies a methodical conviction that is clearly not driven by blind militarism. Her presence alone elevates this film. Alan Rickman, in his final on-screen performance (that alone should persuade you to see this), plays a veteran who has experienced war both as a general and as a soldier. In his controlled, dry voice, he delivers the film's most memorable quote, "Never tell a soldier that he does not know the cost of war." Aaron Paul may be confined sitting in his quarters for most parts, but he effectively displays anxiety (similar to his role in Breaking Bad) that you can feel the internal turmoil going on in his head. This film also proves to be gripping on a ground level with the tense action scenes courtesy of Barkhad Abdi (last seen as a ship hijacker in Captain Phillips) playing a Kenyan operative who controls the black beetle drone – the film's "eye in the sky".
So much is going on in this film beyond the moral case of "sacrificing an innocent's life for the greater good." Before it jumps to the "acceptable" collateral damage, the characters debate on the legal and political facets of the situation: Do we have the legal right of killing terrorists by drones and depriving them of the due process? Supposing that the innocent girl dies and a footage ends up on YouTube, who wins the propaganda war? Making such a calculated risk requires that lawyers agree on the legality of the "strike" and for politicians to step in to see how it will play in the media. Frankly, there are no right and wrong answers, only points and counterpoints.
Eye in the Sky could have delivered more emotional impact if it delved more in its characters on a personal note. Still, it is impossible to come out of this film without your soul shattered in some way. The film ends with the line "Get some sleep. See you in 12 hours." These characters may be able to get back to safety of their homes but guilt and sorrow will follow them wherever they go. Eye in the Sky proves that waging a war from the comforts of your chair is no easier than fighting on the ground. The true war is not in the battlefield, it is in the conference room.
Full review: http://www.filmpolicereviews.com/reviews/eye-in-the-sky
Colonel Katherine Powell (Helen Mirren) commands an operation tasked with capturing a group of high-level Al-Shabaab extremists meeting in a safe house in Nairobi, Kenya. When Powell's team discovers the terrorists prepping suicide vests inside the compound, she decides to change the mission objective from "capture" to "kill". However, such revision in the "rules of the engagement" requires approval from several officials across the globe. Circumstances further escalate when a native young girl (Aisha Takow) enters the blast radius. Meanwhile, drone pilot Steve Watts (Aaron Paul), along with his partner Carrie (Phoebe Fox), shoulder the burden of clicking the trigger and unleashing the hellfire missile. In this time-sensitive political buck passing, everyone has a chance to play god and decide the fate of others'. No matter what decision they choose, one thing is for sure: there will be ramifications and no one will leave emotionally unscathed.
Eye in The Sky builds its momentum in an excellent pace. Although the characters are in different locations, the use of phone and conference calls make them appear as though, they are all in the same room. As the philosophical ping-pong ensues, this film removes any bias and empathizes on each key player. Helen Mirren's steely- eyed character embodies a methodical conviction that is clearly not driven by blind militarism. Her presence alone elevates this film. Alan Rickman, in his final on-screen performance (that alone should persuade you to see this), plays a veteran who has experienced war both as a general and as a soldier. In his controlled, dry voice, he delivers the film's most memorable quote, "Never tell a soldier that he does not know the cost of war." Aaron Paul may be confined sitting in his quarters for most parts, but he effectively displays anxiety (similar to his role in Breaking Bad) that you can feel the internal turmoil going on in his head. This film also proves to be gripping on a ground level with the tense action scenes courtesy of Barkhad Abdi (last seen as a ship hijacker in Captain Phillips) playing a Kenyan operative who controls the black beetle drone – the film's "eye in the sky".
So much is going on in this film beyond the moral case of "sacrificing an innocent's life for the greater good." Before it jumps to the "acceptable" collateral damage, the characters debate on the legal and political facets of the situation: Do we have the legal right of killing terrorists by drones and depriving them of the due process? Supposing that the innocent girl dies and a footage ends up on YouTube, who wins the propaganda war? Making such a calculated risk requires that lawyers agree on the legality of the "strike" and for politicians to step in to see how it will play in the media. Frankly, there are no right and wrong answers, only points and counterpoints.
Eye in the Sky could have delivered more emotional impact if it delved more in its characters on a personal note. Still, it is impossible to come out of this film without your soul shattered in some way. The film ends with the line "Get some sleep. See you in 12 hours." These characters may be able to get back to safety of their homes but guilt and sorrow will follow them wherever they go. Eye in the Sky proves that waging a war from the comforts of your chair is no easier than fighting on the ground. The true war is not in the battlefield, it is in the conference room.
Full review: http://www.filmpolicereviews.com/reviews/eye-in-the-sky