Talk about an edge-of-your-seat nail biting experience! Gavin Hood’s EYE IN THE SKY brings us up close and personal into the military situation room and the new drone warfare tactics that have forever changed the face of the battlefield. Putting a human face on the potential collateral damage of war by way of a young civilian Kenyan girl named Alia, Hood and screenwriter Guy Hibbert force us to examine the moral implications of the impersonal nature of war today. With EYE IN THE SKY, we are no longer face-to-face with “the enemy”, but viewing battle from the safety of boardrooms, hotels and bunker thousands of miles away.
Helen Mirren stars as UK military officer Colonel Katherine Powell, in command of a top-secret drone operation in Kenya, coordinated in tandem with the United States and other Western allies. Learning of an impending terrorist suicide bombing attack, Powell escalates the mission from one of “capture” to “kill”. As the American pilot/drone operator Steve Watts, safely tucked away in Nevada, is ready to pull the trigger, he and his partner spot a young girl walking into the “kill zone.” Refusing to release a bomb with obvious civilian collateral damage, especially a young girl who they have watched hula-hooping at home, to selling bread on a street corner, Watts demands Powell’s orders be re-confirmed, sparking debate both on-screen and off as to the moral and political implications of drone warfare with Powell and Lt. General Frank Benson in the hot seat.
As comes as no surprise, Helen Mirren is stronger then steel. No one could pull off the role of Colonel Powell but for her. And while Mirren gives Powell the illusion of being impervious to emotion, she injects moments of self-doubt through subtle facial nuance and vocal inflection. Joining Mirren in one of the finest, and one of the last, roles in his illustrious career is Alan Rickman as Lt. General Frank Benson. Powell’s outside link to the British politicos watching the unfolding drone strike via satellite, as Benson, Rickman brings a strength and gravitas to the proceedings, as his mounting frustration with those unfamiliar with war intensifies with each passing moment.
The raw emotion that we see from Aaron Paul and Phoebe Fox as US soldiers, Watts and Gershon, connecting with this little girl thousands of miles away is poignant, telling and humanizing. They put the horrors of war right into our laps as while they may be safe in their bunker in Vegas, their hearts are on the “battlefield” with an unknown little girl. Heartwrenching moments to be sure.
As politico Brian Woodale, Jeremy Northam vacillates depending on which way the wind is blowing. You see him wrestling not so much with his conscience, but of what the political fallout might be to his career. Soaking wet stress sweat in the armpits of his shirt, plus some dots of perspiration on his forehead, adds much to the performance. Joining Northam is Iain Glen who, as Willett, is a wussy buffoon, but his performance and that of the character is buttressed by Willett’s aids. Richard McCabe is always a joy to see in a supporting role and here is no different. He brings great believability and resonance as AG George Matherson.
But talk about the scene stealer of the film – beyond Aisha Takow as the young girl Alia – is Barkhad Abdi. Exciting to see him post “Captain Phillips” he soars with a powerhouse performance bringing gravitas and urgency to the role of ground intelligence operative – and concern for the human condition – while still doing his duty. His facial expressions are telling as is the urgency of his physicality.
Director Gavin Hood, working with script from Guy Hibbert, together with editor Megan Gill Ellis, find the perfect rhythm to establish not only the tension, but the escalating gravity of the situation with each “real time” image and zoom on the young Kenyan girl that has “muddied” the military and political waters, focusing on a shifting POV with a political pass-the-buck mumbo jumbo on whether to strike or not to strike.
Disappointing, however, is by the very construct of the story as we are almost spoon fed what may be the inevitable outcome with the resulting moral conflicts served up on a silver platter. We get invested in the adorable little Alia the minute we see her dad finish making her a hula hoop. Her smile melts your heart and sets the stage for interesting discussion about the casualties of war. With an immediate chill running through your body, one senses immediately thanks to the EYE IN THE SKY ready to take down terrorists in the house next door, what the future may hold for little Alia. Despite this, and a testament to Hood’s direction, one is riveted to the screen, mesmerized by what is unfolding while sitting on the edge of the seat holding out the same hopes we see and hear in Watts and Gershon.
The technical procedural information of drone warfare that is imparted is fascinating, not to mention the global coordination. Interesting tacit commentary on the human condition in times of war and the humanity or lack thereof that plays out. Each ideologic camp is beautifully set forth and perfectly cast. Nice touch having Alan Rickman’s Benson buying a doll for his little girl, getting the wrong one because he’s so removed from the normal everyday world of his family and then having to press for military action that will potentially kill another innocent child. The seemingly callus emotion that he brings is eloquently brought from simmering to boiling as he delivers a monologue on the price of war and the experience of it that will stay with you long after film’s end.
Haris Zambarloukos dazzles with cinematography. Militarily precise in framing and POV, but using lighting in the various settings add another layer of story. The closed claustrophobic walls of Powell’s bunker and that of Watts and Gershon in Nevada versus the comfort and ease of Benson’s “war room” versus the sunlight and beauty and spots of color in this small town of Nairobi speaks volumes. The visual contrast is telling and fuels the viewer’s subconscious. Fascinating visual design.
Hood’s construction is interesting, as he immerses us in the voyeuristic spy POV. He takes us where civilians cannot and do not go and he does it with such resonance that we are glued to the screen and the monitors just as each military person is. The intensity is heart-pounding. We are limited, as are they, by what the various spy cameras and surveillance can see, thus amping up the emotional heartbeat of the film. Hood is one of the finest directors out there when it comes to military heartbeats and issues, as well as social commentary. As he consistently does, with EYE IN THE SKY Hood opens our eyes, our hearts and our minds to the totality of the circumstance, forcing us to look at situations, ourselves and the world around us.
Directed by Gavin Hood
Written by Guy Hibbert
Cast: Helen Mirren, Alan Rickman, Aaron Paul, Phoebe Fox, Jeremy Northam, Barkhad Abdi
