'Eye In The Sky' - Movie Review

Eye In The SkyUA DramathrillerDirector Gavin HoodCast Helen Mirren Aaron Paul Alan Rickman Barkhad AbdiRatingThe films premise is simple Col Katherine Powell Helen Mirren stationed in a safe zone far away from the area of operation is tasked with overseeing the capture of terrorists two British citizens Somali terrorist Aisha Al Hady her husband and an American in Kenya All three are ranked in the top ten most wanted terrorists list and its incumbent that they be caught sooner the betterWatch the trailer of Eye In The SkyWith the help of satellite technology and a prying electronic eye the Col manages to confirm the identities of the three terrorists She enlists the help of an American drone flown remotely from Las Vegas by pilot Steve Watts Aaron Paul and CoPilot Carrie Gershon Phoebe Fox to keep an eye on the house from the sky while ground forces can be mobilized to storm the building and apprehend the targets When surveillance reveals that the terrorists are preparing for a suicide bombing Powell changes her objective from capture to kill But she needs the goahead from the gathered diplomats of the USA and UK who are initially unprepared to ratify her cause A discussion ensues and chain of control goes up the rung for answers before an OK is agreed on So just as she commissions the kill by a remotely controlled hellfire missile a little girl selling bread enters the perimeter of the kill site Theres a 65 chance that she will not survive the attack and with this new entry the debate gets triggered again and the Col has to find a way to get the girl out of harms way or allow the window of hardwon opportunity to be frittered away How she does it and within the established protocols is simply breathtaking and fascinating tooPowell consults commanding officer Lieutenant General Frank Benson Alan Rickman and a slew of other advisors to arrive at a decision as to whether sacrificing one little girl is worth potentially saving hundreds of other innocent lives And that is what this movie is all about A debate on the value of human life and the price we put on it while sitting in our overbearing prestigious positions Should a what if situation have more power to swing decision its way when pitted against the sure shot loss of one life even if it is of one little sixyearold Its really not an easy one to call and the points raised by the interested parties sitting on the table are all very much valid Ethics morality humanity discipline and principles come into play here Theres no escaping the palpitations that arise out of seeing the sweet little girl in the eye of the storm The tension builds up slowly and steadily and the escalation to kill makes it even more heartstopping Ticktockticktock and time is running outThe screenplay is a firecracker even if theres not much of a story to tell The dialogues are relatable and each word and how it is put forth matters The suspense is razorsharp The political grandstanding and secondguessing adds power to the war on terror template The narrative tempo is artfully measured and strongly evocative Gavin Hood makes the telling sharp and incising And with steely performances from Helen Mirren Alan Rickman and empathetic ones from the rest this one sure has the power to make it a striking oneofakind experience The aerial aesthetics and a sanguine score adds substance This film is strong on conviction and its antiwar sentiment is quite inflammable