Eye In The Sky (2016) - Film Review

Starring: Helen Mirren, Alan Rickman, Barkhad Abdi & Aaron Paul

Screenplay: Guy Hibbert

Directed By: Gavin Hood

Certificate: 15

 

Modern warfare isn't something we see brought to the big screen all that often. In films, war and conflict is usually seen in sci-fi or in a historical piece, and this is simply because it makes for a more exciting big screen experience. Since the end of WWII, the way in which war is fought has changed dramatically. Gone are the days where the majority of fighting would be done on battlefields, in the air or at sea. War now has a new home – the computer screen, and up until now, conflict on a computer just hasn't been exhilarating enough for films. But if nothing else, Eye In The Sky proves that wars are something that are just as deadly, controversial and debatable, as they have ever been.

 

Eye In The Sky follows Colonel Katherine Powell in remote control of a drone operation in Nairobi, Kenya. The mission is to capture several high-profile terrorists working for Al-Shabaab. Meanwhile, Lieutenant General Frank Benson watches the mission with cabinet members from the British government, Steve Watts is piloting a drone from a Nevada airbase, and Jama Farah provides surveillance of the extremists' meeting from Kenya. When they discover that the terrorists are arming themselves for a suicide attack, the mission escalates from capture to kill. However, the decision of whether or not to strike is debated amongst politicians, as they struggle to do so as safely and effectively as possible.

 

Early on, Eye In The Sky creates a fantastic global scale thanks to a variety of locations and settings. The film follows events happening in London, Kenya, Nevada, Hawaii and even features a brief scene in Beijing. I always greatly admire a sense of scale in anything I watch, but here, it makes the stakes feel real and makes the military operation feel very important. Each location looks stunning, thanks in no small way to some great direction from Gavin Hood. Not to mention, there's brilliant lighting work throughout. The darker and more subdued look of the London and Nevada bases make for a great contrast to the brighter and sunny streets of the Kenyan market.

 

At the time of writing, this is really the only film I'm aware of that's tackled the controversial subject of drone warfare. It's a tricky topic, and everyone has their own opinion on it, so it was of paramount importance that Eye In The Sky handled it in a mature and adult way. Thankfully, this is exactly what it does, and the film creates a complex moral dilemma that both the characters and the audience are forced to answer. It's one hell of a morality tester, and no other film has made you question its characters' actions like this for a very long time. The situation that everyone's presented with – even by the time the credits are rolling, there's no definitive solution to the problem. Someone who watches this might condemn the characters for their actions, while someone else might argue they had to do what they did to prevent something even worse. Even if you do condemn the characters for what they eventually do, just listen to Lt. General Benson's verdict, and you'll understand why they did it, even if you don't agree:

 

“What you witnessed today with your coffee and biscuits, is terrible. What these men would have done would have been even more terrible. Never tell a soldier that he does not know the cost of war.”

 

While Eye In The Sky is a very serious and intense film, there are times where it still works as a dark comedy. Most notably, the way each character keeps referring things up the chain of command, just so they'll be able to save face – it keeps happening so often that it becomes frustrating yet laughable. There's even a moment where a character refers up to the British Foreign Secretary, but he ends up having to take the call while on the toilet. Perhaps the biggest indicator of Eye In The Sky's dark comedy is with Lt. General Benson's first scene, as in full uniform, he's in a toy shop, discussing on the phone, which brand of doll he should buy as a present.

 

The key to Eye In The Sky's quality is a mature and complex script combined with stellar performances from all the cast. As much as the film makes you question whether or not the actions of its characters are the right thing to do, it also makes sure you never leave the edge of your seat. It's a thrilling watch, and you really can't predict what's going to happen next. The script provides twists and turns at every minute and you're never all that sure where the film will go next. Probably the most tense scenes are those with Jama in the Kenyan market, as he pilots a camera disguised as a beetle around the extremists' meeting. There's always a sense of fear that he's going to be discovered by the soldiers, and that if he is discovered, whether or not he'll be able to make it out alive. These scenes are made so fantastic thanks to Barkhad Abdi's strong performance, as he's really the only character here that's anywhere near the field, and isn't watching events from the safety of being sat behind a computer screen. Another standout performance comes from Alan Rickman as Lt. General Frank Benson, and this film is absolute proof that we've sadly lost a terrific actor with him. As his final on-screen performance, it's a fitting one, and even though his character may not be the most important here, he still has quite a significant role.

 

Admittedly, Eye In The Sky's only real problem is its lack of character development. Even then, you can see why this is the case – this isn't supposed to be a character story, but a moral debate instead. Eye In The Sky is probably the best look at drone warfare that the film industry could have offered. It takes into account the global reach of such a topic, handles it with maturity and care, while also making sure that the film is entertaining and gripping throughout. I'd recommend going into Eye In The Sky, knowing as little as possible about the actual story, particularly the last half-hour, as on a first watch, it's most effective if you simply don't know which way events are going to go.

Eye In The Sky



9/10