Written by: Kevin Berge
I would rather deal with any male stereotype colonel than Helen Mirren as a colonel. (Image Courtesy of: wennermedia.com)
Quick Take: Eye in the Sky unfolds at a steady pace in a tightly knit setting follow a single drone strike. Patiently acted, emotionally resonant, and deeply honest in its portrayal, this movie is worth the time it takes to reach its quiet climax.
***This is a review for a 2016 movie that the reader is not expected to have seen yet, so there will be no spoilers ahead, just a breakdown of elements as well as some allusions to the film's focus.***
"Never tell a soldier that he does not know the cost of war." - Lieutenant General Frans Benson
We live in a world on the verge of science fiction where it is possible from hundreds of miles away to systematically target and eliminate anyone or any group. The only thing keeping us all under wraps are a series of political checks and balances.
Eye in the Sky is a snapshot into this reality, following the entirety of a drone strike mission in Kenya. Colonel Katherine Powell (Helen Miren) and Lt. Gen. Frans Benson (Alan Rickman) run this mission, trying to get approval through many channels, while Steve Watts (Aaron Paul) and Carrie Gershon (Phoebe Fox) man the satellite and Hellfire missile.
The movie is entirely set to follow this single mission which often just means following a bunch of people staring and talking, but even that lack of action speaks volumes in this movie which does not waste a frame in the way it reflects on actions and words.
A lesser filmmaker may have fallen flat with this presentation, but this is an impressive effort of writing, directing, and acting that feels wholly intentional without a transparent agenda. Everyone involved fully commits to a concept that is extremely internal.
Early on, I found myself tuning out as the pieces fell into place, and the camera shots snapped back and forth from room to room. This is no action film, more a thriller, though it does not cling to its tension too strongly either.
However, I found myself latching on more and more as the situation grew more dire, subtly shifting and turning as emotion overwhelm the characters in the heat of a moment growing frightening in its ambiguity.
"Never tell a soldier that he does not know the cost of war." - Lieutenant General Frans Benson
We live in a world on the verge of science fiction where it is possible from hundreds of miles away to systematically target and eliminate anyone or any group. The only thing keeping us all under wraps are a series of political checks and balances.
Eye in the Sky is a snapshot into this reality, following the entirety of a drone strike mission in Kenya. Colonel Katherine Powell (Helen Miren) and Lt. Gen. Frans Benson (Alan Rickman) run this mission, trying to get approval through many channels, while Steve Watts (Aaron Paul) and Carrie Gershon (Phoebe Fox) man the satellite and Hellfire missile.
The movie is entirely set to follow this single mission which often just means following a bunch of people staring and talking, but even that lack of action speaks volumes in this movie which does not waste a frame in the way it reflects on actions and words.
A lesser filmmaker may have fallen flat with this presentation, but this is an impressive effort of writing, directing, and acting that feels wholly intentional without a transparent agenda. Everyone involved fully commits to a concept that is extremely internal.
Early on, I found myself tuning out as the pieces fell into place, and the camera shots snapped back and forth from room to room. This is no action film, more a thriller, though it does not cling to its tension too strongly either.
However, I found myself latching on more and more as the situation grew more dire, subtly shifting and turning as emotion overwhelm the characters in the heat of a moment growing frightening in its ambiguity.
No jokes here. Just want to say you're missed Alan Rickman. (Image Courtesy of: fandango.com)
This movie is loaded with acting talent, and they bring what they can to roles that are all largely supporting efforts. In one of his last roles, the late Alan Rickman (Harry Potter franchise) plays a quiet, hard-edged soldier with the right mix of intensity and understated comedy.
Helen Mirren (The Queen) does not hesitate with a role that often edges on unpleasant drive. Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) wrenches out the most emotion possible in a role that is surprisingly sparse. Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips) also manages to be a sympathetic heart of the film even without saying many words.
Using a variety of camera shots including a masterful use of a satellite view, Gavin Hood (Tsotsi) keeps a story moving almost in real time intense and affecting. The way he builds up to the last scene to wrench every last bit of emotion out is impressive and surprising.
The writing by Guy Hibbert (Five Minutes of Heaven) works extremely well particularly in its symbolic moments of juxtaposition. In a movie that could have been drearily political, the only real message seems to be the complexity of life where each character is a person who is more than this one mission and the decisions made here.
It is not often a movie can sneak up this effectively. Every aspect pushes forward despite never hitting overdrive. Hood and his quality cast all bring everything this movie needs to succeed though it does still suffer from a gradual opening act.
Eye in the Sky is an expression of its subject matter: complex, frightening, challenging, and ultimately ambiguous. It is not a movie written for a casual audience but an attentive one who will only find partial fulfillment in the complete experience.
Helen Mirren (The Queen) does not hesitate with a role that often edges on unpleasant drive. Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) wrenches out the most emotion possible in a role that is surprisingly sparse. Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips) also manages to be a sympathetic heart of the film even without saying many words.
Using a variety of camera shots including a masterful use of a satellite view, Gavin Hood (Tsotsi) keeps a story moving almost in real time intense and affecting. The way he builds up to the last scene to wrench every last bit of emotion out is impressive and surprising.
The writing by Guy Hibbert (Five Minutes of Heaven) works extremely well particularly in its symbolic moments of juxtaposition. In a movie that could have been drearily political, the only real message seems to be the complexity of life where each character is a person who is more than this one mission and the decisions made here.
It is not often a movie can sneak up this effectively. Every aspect pushes forward despite never hitting overdrive. Hood and his quality cast all bring everything this movie needs to succeed though it does still suffer from a gradual opening act.
Eye in the Sky is an expression of its subject matter: complex, frightening, challenging, and ultimately ambiguous. It is not a movie written for a casual audience but an attentive one who will only find partial fulfillment in the complete experience.