Eye in The Sky review – a political thriller with real bite

‘Col. Katherine Powell and her drone pilot tackle the moral, political and personal implications of a drone strike on terrorists in Kenya.’

It’s clear from the start of Eye in The Sky that Gavin Hood’s main aim is to show how much warfare has changed over the decades. Whereas thousands of troops were deployed for the invasion of Normandy during World War Two and countless lives were sacrificed. We can now fight wars in relative comfort and safety. Using drones that are piloted halfway across the world and keeping troop deployment to a minimum.

That contrast is prominent throughout the films runtime. Starting with those opening scenes where we see Helen Mirren’s Colonel Powell waking up and going over mission details in the comfort of her own home. And Alan Rickman’s Lieutenant General Benson buying he’s Granddaughter a gift while on the way to a high stakes operation. Guy Hibbert’s script is asking a very provocative question. Has war become too comfortable? It’s a hard question in which Eye in The Sky gives no easy answers. What once felt like manpower and brute force were the key to winning a war, it now seems more about the technology, intelligence gathering and seeking out strategic targets.

This new type of warfare comes with its own set of boundaries and ethical issues which the film wants to explore. It does this with its main story. Which centres around a multinational military operation to capture a group of high profile Al-Shabaab extremists based in Kenya. This quickly escalates to a kill mission when it looks like a suicide bombing will be imminent. Things get complicated when an innocent girl places herself within the blast radius and Aaron Paul’s drone pilot can’t bring himself to pull the trigger. What follows is an ethical debate as we watch politicians and military personnel in various locations around the globe argue for and against going ahead with the strike. And those with the authority unwilling to make any kind of decision and continually ‘referring up’.

For what is essentially a war film. Eye in The Sky doesn’t have many of the troupes which are associated with the genre like big action sequences or combat. Instead what we have, ironically, is over an hour and a half of various different perspectives being brought forward. With people weighing up the risk of a missile strike including the PR ramifications if such an action got out to the public which resulted in an innocent child’s death. It shouldn’t work, a war film with lots of talking. But Hood is effective in making the story engaging and building real tension in which time is of the essence.

All the actors do excellent work in their roles, particularly Paul’s reluctant drone pilot. You can really feel his hesitation in releasing that missile, and the pressure he’s receiving from his superiors. As an audience it really drags you into the situation and forces us into that seat with him. Essentially asking us if we could do it, could we potentially sacrifice one life for the sake of many. If we were purely logical creatures it would be an easy answer. But we’re not and Paul does a great job of showing all the emotion behind such a decision.

On the other side of the spectrum is Mirren’s colonel Powell, who like Spock. Believes the lives of the many outweigh the lives of the few and has no such qualms about pulling the trigger. You can see her frustration as she has to adhere to the legal protocols that are in place to prevent her from making such a decision and her annoyance at those who aren’t willing. Mirren does a good job of balancing the character just on the edge of villainy. Although Powell can come across as cold and calculating you can just about see, hidden within the performance. That no pleasure comes from making these calls, but from years of military service knows they need to be made.

We also have Barkhad Abdi’s field agent on the ground, who uses high tech spy gadgetry to get a better look inside the house the extremists are staying in. He’s the only character from the operation team who is in any kind of real danger and again highlights the difference between how war is conducted today compared to the past. It’s no longer about strength and numbers but about stealth. And his role really shows that as he tries to blend in and not get noticed.

‘Apart from some attempts at humour and satire which I felt was misplaced and undercut the tension at times.’

Eye in The Sky is a great, thought-provoking film which will have you questioning yourself long after the credits roll. Hood has done a great job of presenting the various perspectives and arguments on drone warfare. While at the same time not committing to one, but is able to leave the conclusion up to us. Not only that, but it’s an entertaining thriller as well, that will have you on the edge of your seats and your eye’s glued to the screen.