Eye In The Sky

This review may contain spoilers!

A truly horrifying and insightful glimpse into the moral debate of drone warfare. I would give Eye In The Sky a 9/10.

This film is essentially a debate and it's by no means a simple one, it asks whether it is justifiable to use drones to kill terrorist cell leaders if it means civilians will die in the process. It's an extremely relevant debate and there is a lot of controversy around this subject in the world today. There is no doubt that this film condemns drone warfare and the consequences of this type of warfare but it still makes a compelling argument for the necessity of drone warfare and why this type of attack exists. The incredible discussion within the film as well as the mounting suspense means this film flow really well, there is a great sense of pacing. The cinematography in this film looks really good, mostly everything is just framed really well and there's a great contrast between the static military spaces and the busy world of the Kenyan streets. The score for this film is linked to the success of the film, the music used creates this atmosphere of tension and uncertainty as well as a building sense of horror. The special effects in this film are minimal but look quite good; the CGI models of the beetle and the drone look pretty good, however the most stand out effect in this film is the explosion that could be described as the greatest scene of the film.

Faisa Hassan, Aisha Takow and Armaan Haggio, who played Fatima Mo'Allim, Alia Mo'Allim and Musa Mo'Allim respectively, are the heart of the film; the way this family acts and interacts makes the audience care so much that when young Alia dies at the end of the film it's all the more profound. Helen Mirren, who played Colonel Katherine Powell, really developed from the film's protagonist to quite an antagonistic figure; I liked seeing her frustration and almost blind desire to kill her targets. Aaron Paul, who played Steve Watts, is quite reserved and by the books when first we meet him in this film; however the amount of emotion Paul shows when he attempts to defend Alia is exceptional. Babou Ceesay, who played Sergeant Mushtaq Saddiq, played a very submissive role in this film; Ceesay did a great job of showing his discomfiture under Mirren and you really feel the pressure he faces. Carl Beukes, who played Sergeant Mike Gleeson, is one of the few roles who contests Mirren's actions exceptionally well; he reminds us that there is culpability for any misguided actions that would take place. Monica Dolan, who played Angela Northman, very sternly reminds us of the value of human life in this film; the ferocity with which she battles for 'capture not kill' option is admirable. Barkhad Abdi, who played Jama Farah, was quite an earnest risk taker in this film; it felt like Abdi's character was one of the few intelligence/military agents who cared about civilian life. Iain Glen, who played James Willett, is rather comical at first in this film; however Glen is one of the best cast members suited to debating and discussing the severity of committing to a drone strike.

However the best performance came from Alan Rickman, who played Lieutenant General Frank Benson. Rickman is first introduced rather comedically, almost in an attempt to remind us of the absurdity of ordinary Western life. As the film goes on we seem him struggle to gather a decision from a group of extremely indecisive or opposed people. As I previously stated this film ultimately condemns drone warfare yet it debates for the other side of the argument strongly as well. A big part of that is Rickman's performance, his military role reminds us of the consequence of war and that peaceful action is not always an option.

The editing in this film wasn't particularly exciting, the cutting was extremely basic and this was probably to ensure a longer running time. The one quality that really hurt the plot was the number of characters in this film, throughout the feature character after character was introduced to the point it became hard to keep up with everyone which was rather frustrating.

Warren Masermola, who played Agent Atieno, didn't have much screen presence in this film; for an on the ground operative he didn't really do all that much. Phoebe Fox, who played Carrie Gershon, was perhaps a bit too emotive and shaky to be a soldier; a lot of the film it felt like she was playing he role's emotional extremes way too high. Lemogang Tsipa, who played Matt Levery, was the third member of the drone team apparently; unfortunately he was never part of any of the plot that mattered nor did he have any particular impactful dialogue. Gavin Hood, who played Lt. Colonel Ed Walsh, was a bit of a stock character; his stereotypical military commander was rather bland to watch. Ebby Weyime, who played Damisi, didn't do a lot for the film; she never even had any chemistry with Abdi the one actor she worked alongside. Vusi Kunene, who played Major Moses Owiti, was a boring military role; he made the Kenyan side of things a bit dull to observe. Francis Chouler, who played Jack Cleary, was one of the most forgettable characters in the British office; his constant exits and entrances were the most noteable thing about him. Richard McCabe, who played George Matherson, gave a good attempt in this film but ultimately didn't make much of an impact; McCabe had a role that was just too two-dimensional for his own good. Jeremy Northam, who played Brian Woodale, gave a cowardly performance that felt out of place in this film; Northam gave a flimsy delivery and showed himself to be a weak link in the British office cast. Kim Engelbrecht, who played Lucy Galvez, didn't have much of an active role in this film; while she did receive a lot of screen time most of it was just bogged down with exposition delivery. Laila Robins, who played Ms Jillian Goldman, was a character that was introduced far too late to be interesting; her brief speech barely leaves an impression.