dinsdag 17 januari 2017

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 9: Eye in the Sky

Director: Gavin Hood
Genre: Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 102 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Helen Mirren, Aaron Paul, Alan Rickman, Barkhad Abdo, Jeremy Northam, Iain Glen

Description: Col. Katherine Powell (Helen Mirren), a military officer in command of an operation to capture terrorists in Kenya, sees her mission escalate when a girl enters the kill zone triggering an international dispute over the implications of modern warfare.

Review: One moment you’re buying a doll for your grandchild, an hour later you’re making critical decisions in Nairobi. In modern times, this can be an ordinary workday for army leaders in their battle against Muslim terrorism. Nowadays people aren’t always in the frontline, but difficult decisions are made from a controle room, while watching video images. “Eye in the Sky” is about one of those missions: a drone attack from the British and American army. Orders are given from England, the pilot is in the US and in Kenia they have the terrorist in their sight. They are on the most wanted list and are about to execute a suicide bombing.
There is one moral question: can you make one innocent person a victim when you can save a potential hundred? “Eye in the Sky” is a very clever film. There is that moral theme, but the film has a very fast pace. Helen Mirren is great in this film, I loved her performance and her determined character. Alan Rickman is more diplomatic in his performance. He physically doesn’t do much, but the power he transfers to the screen is so strong. This was Rickman’s last film role by the way. The film has a high tension level, it keeps you on the edge of your seat.
It’s a war film, but not the spectacular and action packed kind. This is based on decision making and the consequences those decisions will have. “Eye in the Sky” is a movie that I enjoyed more than I expected, a really good and overlooked 2016 film.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

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