I want to recommend a movie with a fresh perspective on the problems of an endless war.
Without a remarkable acting cast (perhaps except for actress Helen Mirren), we are in front of a very good psychological film that raises the question of the price of collateral victims.
Why I was so impressed?
The interior of a Kenyan home, including a British citizen was marrying one of the chiefs of the respective Islamist terrorist organization, had also become one of the heads of this organization. Initially, the US-British anti-terrorist action had the purpose not to liquidate but only to capture this British citizen and two other heads of the organization, but the discovery that it was precisely in those moments that the immediate triggering of more suicidal terrorist action in the public that would have made many innocent human casualties,resulting ad-hoc quitting the capture plan, and deciding to liquidate the terrorist heads and their nest in which the actual trigger of terrorist actions that was just being prepared.
It should be noted that the film does not have an electrifying action, with shooting, with a lot of violence and bloodshed, and is therefore not a commercial film for the fans of the genre of such films, but it is a profoundly psychological film, The psychological side of the military characters but also those with high political positions in this film. I strongly recommend watching this film, of course, not to those who are exclusive fans of the genre of strictly commercial films with more violence and bloodshed, with spectacular pursuits and special special effects, as this is not the case. However, to the end of "Eye in the Sky" there is an important dose of suspense that further accentuates both the important psychological side of the film and its drama!
Decision-making processes behind the human mind are often chaotic and meaningless. Whether we only react to emotional stimuli or think using incomplete and truncated information, the way we make decisions is neither the most effective nor the fastest possible. It may seem strange, but this is the central theme around which revolves around Eye in the Sky.
The Action
Designed as a military thriller that talks about current issues, such as the fight against terrorism or the drone-controlled war, the film goes on and becomes a character analysis and an incursion into the minds of those who make life and death decisions. From the outset, the film is somewhat distanced from the image that the military thriller has cultivated over the last few years, and moves away from the much-used Middle East in Africa, particularly in Kenya. Here we have again the eternal hunting of terrorists, and the narrative's central point is a home where British intelligence services, helped by local informers, discover more valuable targets.
What follows from this point is a continuous movement through command hierarchies, military and political, starting from drone pilots and ending with high-ranking politicians. Everyone has a personal view of the situation and a reason for being in the middle of it. The film manages to capture your attention and keep it focused on the internal crisis of the characters until the end.
Tensions
The most exciting aspect of the movie is that it excels exactly in moments when you expect to fail. The whole story puzzles between drama, cynical humor and tension, with grace and subtlety. We do not find too many fake notes in the composition loaded with these elements and just when you expect the movie to fall into derision, the rhythm suddenly changes and you are pulled back into the emotional roller coaster. The viewer is in turn shocked, irritated and excited by the actions and characters' experiences. Eye in the Sky adds pressure throughout the movie, pressure released brutally and violently. The end is an appropriate one, resonating with the message of the film and its entire construction.
Actors
The characters do not have a complex interior development, but they get profound due to some major interpretations, such as those of Helen Mirren and Alan Rickman. Replacements are sharp and fast. Dialogue is simple but direct and serves its story and rhythm very well. It is surprising that in the end all the parts of the film fit so well and form a coherent and effective structure. The common and often used subject, as well as the often humorous approach, could have made Eye in the Sky a failure, but the clear control imposed by Gavin Hood's direction and the effective use of a distribution with many talented actors lead the film to the cinema territory quality.
Conclusion
Far from being a revolutionary film for the genre it belongs to, Eye in the Sky achieves its goals with intelligence and style. The film offers the experience of an efficient and carefully constructed thriller that virtually cancels the time spent in front of the screen. Finally, we remain with the same questions about the ethics and rigors of the war. We will not have more answers, but just a fresh perspective on the problems of an endless war.
