War may still be hell, but it’s changed remarkably as illustrated by Gavin Hood’s tense drama, Eye in the Sky. If your idea of warfare comes from Saving Private Ryan, Platoon or even Three Kings, this film will open your mind to some new – and quite frightening – ways in which nations project military power. With people around the globe playing a part in the action, this is very different from the battlefield movies of old.
The focus of the film is in London where Colonel Katherine Powell (Helen Mirren) is remotely coordinating an operation in Nairobi, Kenya. The idea is to nab a pair of foreign nationals (an American and a Briton) who have flown into Nairobi after being recruited by terror group Al Shabab and – hopefully – their recruiter, Susan Danford (Lex King), a British woman. Powell’s being assisted on the ground by a local military unit and by Jama Farah (Barkhad Abdi), an operative who can blend into the expatriate Somali community in Nairobi. In the air, a US drone piloted by the Nevada-based team of Steve Watts (Aaron Paul) and Carrie Gershon (Phoebe Fox) provides a birds-eye view of movements around the city.
When the foreigners arrive, they’re taken to a house in an affluent neighbourhood to await the expected arrival of Danford. Powell’s plan is for the Kenyan military stationed nearby to surround the place and capture Danford and the others alive. Everything changes however when they leave the house and are driven to a teeming militia-controlled slum – somewhere the Kenyan military dare not tread for fear of inciting a bloodbath. Farah however manages to infiltrate the area and pilots a tiny drone, disguised as an insect, into the terrorists’ new locale. There they actually meet Danford; but the drone reveals two armed suicide vests and AK-47s waiting for the new arrivals. The original plan is now out the door, as Powell wants to change the objective from a “capture” to a “kill” mission. Powell’s boss, Lt Gen Frank Benson (Alan Rickman) is watching on remotely in Whitehall with UK Attorney-General George Matherson (Richard McCabe). However, Matherson is reluctant to authorise such a change in the mission – even given the new circumstances – as it will result in the death of British and American nationals. But things get even more complicated when 9 year-old Alia (Aisha Takow) sets up a stall in the “kill zone” to sell bread.
As you might have gathered, Eye in the Sky raises difficult and troubling questions about the nature and morality of modern warfare. It’s obvious the “rules” have changed. For a start, the enemy is not rolling across the countryside with tanks and infantry – they don’t even wear uniforms. They’re individuals intent on staging guerrilla-style attacks, most likely on the civilian population in cities (there’s a reference to the Westgate shopping centre atrocity in Nairobi at the start of the film). The response from national governments has been to move to a more unconventional style too, with tactical raids and drone strikes replacing “boots on the ground” campaigns. However, since no one seems to be following the Geneva Convention anymore, major questions are raised by the ethical and moral dimensions of such actions.
Hood (Ender’s Game) keeps things tight throughout, although it becomes apparent the script from Guy Hibbert – while based on a great concept – has some trouble filling out a full length feature. Excursions to ever more important politicians do little for the plot. I initially thought the ending was rather weak; it doesn’t really “land” but kind of fizzles out into a melange of different ideas. On reflection however, I think that was probably deliberate on the filmmakers’ part – the point of course being that all this is very messy and the lines between the “good guys” and the “bad guys” are rarely clear (if they ever were).
The acting is very good across the board. Helen Mirren headlines as the determined, no-nonsense Col. Powell, and she is – as I’m sure everyone expects – excellent. Aaron Paul and Phoebe Fox are well matched as the drone pilots and both give fine turns even though they’re basically confined to a box for most of the film (look out too for director Hood, who pops up as their CO). Barkhad Abdi (Captain Philips) is also good as the “eyes” on the ground and his performance powers arguably the best scene in the film; while young Aisha Takow steals just about every scene she’s in as the imperilled Alia. One of the most interesting characters (though it takes a while for her import to be felt) is the Hawaii-based analyst Lucy Galvez, played with steely-eyed precision by Kim Engelbrecht. The late and sorely lamented Alan Rickman very much lives up to his formidable reputation as the military man uncomfortable with having to deal with civilians.
Eye in the Sky is a film that takes a little while to get going, but ends up posing some intriguing – if difficult – questions. Hood wisely doesn’t offer simplistic answers to those questions, leaving it for the audience to make their own determinations. And in a world where so many movies proffer just those kinds of pat “lessons”, his approach is refreshing.
Director: Gavin Hood
Cast: Helen Mirren, Alan Rickman, Aaron Paul, Barkhad Abdi
Release Date: 24 March, 2016
Rating: M – Mature themes, violence and coarse language
David Edwards
David Edwards is the editor of The Blurb and a contributor on film and television
