READY, AIM, WAIT // A FILM REVIEW OF "EYE IN THE SKY"

BY MATEO MORENO

Capturing the nature of war on film is a tricky thing. With politics always in play, you run the risk of a film leaning too far into one direction or the next. Especially if you're looking down the road to sell it to an international audience. But what about when the finer points are a little harder to nail down. Take for instance, the use of drones in the military and what constitutes an "acceptable kill." The logistics of how we get intel in the modern drone-filled age and the rank of command the military must (or should) abide by could make a fascinating movie. Rather, I should say, it HAS made a fascinating movie. EYE IN THE SKY is a potboiler, a tense, cat and mouse thrill ride that instead of taking sides, shows you several viewpoints, shows you each side.

The film starts out with this info: The U.S., British, and Kenyan military forces have come together for a mission. The mission is to nab a group of Al-Shabaab terrorists located in Nairobi. Helen Mirren is calling the shots as Colonel Katherine Powell. The US military will fly in the drone, piloted by Carrie Gershon (Phoebe Fox) and Steve Watts (Aaron Paul), and act as the "eye in the sky" and the "airstrike in the sky" if absolutely needed while Kenyan military will grab the terrorists that they need. What starts out as a capture mission quickly goes south and possibly turns into a kill mission instead, which brings a slew of problems, both legal and logistically. The legal issues immediately come into play, as some of the terrorists hold a US or British passport, and all sides begin to wonder the public ramifications and perception of their actions. Throw in the fact that numerous innocent bystanders may get hurt or killed in the process, and suddenly a fairly simple capture has turned into a completely different situation.

What really makes EYE IN THE SKY work is the humanity of the story, and the focus on each point of view throughout their harrowing mission. Watts almost immediately has reservations and although Colonel Powell is strong and willful, she also isn't above cutting a corner in order to get to the end result. The Kenyan team on the ground is led by Barkhad Abdi, a soldier spying in plain sight who has to act within a moment’s notice in order to possibly save lives and grab their target. Lt General Frank Benson (the late, great Alan Rickman) has the task of keeping the British Government up to speed and get approvals on each and every move. Which ends up being much harder than anticipated when no one wants to make the "final call" in fear of how it will look on their political career. Each locale is remarkable in its own way, from the control room where Powell is operating the mission to the piloting deck of the drones, the streets of Nairobi, the meeting room of officials not yet ready to make a possible mistake, and finally through the eyes of the actual drone (expertly achived). Nail biting and harrowing without ever leaning on a big, flashy, typical tone.

All of the leads give great performances throughout. Helen Mirren achieves a strong portrayal of a leader caught between minimalizing casualties and heading towards the end goal of success. Aaron Paul's conflicted drone pilot feels utterly authentic, powerfully moving through a gamut of emotions and knowing he controls the outcome of casualties just by sitting behind a monitor. Barkhad Abdi showcases grace and ease and brings in much of the tension and fear as we really aren't sure how his character is going to end up moment to moment. Finally, Alan Rickman (in one of his last film roles) is tender, commanding and striking as the in-between force trying to make everyone agree on one decision. Director Gavin Hood expertly puts these all together in a unifying vision that takes chance after chance in its storytelling. Of course it would be much easier to make this a pro-drone or anti-drone message movie. But Hood picks the harder, more powerful choice. He gives each side of the coin. The truth is much more complicated than black and white. Even after the final moments end, you'll be left with a lingering feeling of unease, wondering what is the right decision, and how do you even know when, or if, you've reached it.

MATEO'S GRADE:  A

Written by Guy Hibbert Directed by Gavin Hood Starring: Helen Mirren, Aaron Paul, Alan Rickman, Jeremy Northam, Barkhad Abdi, Iain Glen, Phoebe Fox, Monica Dolan. Now playing.

EYE IN THE SKY OFFICIAL TRAILER

MATEO MORENO is an actor, writer, and a playwright. His plays Happily After Tonight, Bohemian Valentine, & Within Our Walls have been produced in NY and beyond (TBG Theatre, NY International Fringe Festival, Planet Connections Festivity, Boomerang Theatre, and FOHS Theatre). He most recently co-stared in the critically acclaimed Off-Broadway play City of Glass at The New Ohio Theatre. Mateo is also part of Athena Theatre's 2016 Playwrighting Group. He lives in Brooklyn.