EYE IN THE SKY

By Joyce and Don Fowler
Posted 4/6/16

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(Thrilling, thought-provoking modern war saga)

If this thrilling, thought-provoking modern war saga had been written 10 years ago, it would have been labeled “Science …

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EYE IN THE SKY

Posted

* * * *

(Thrilling, thought-provoking modern war saga)

If this thrilling, thought-provoking modern war saga had been written 10 years ago, it would have been labeled “Science Fiction.”

The tense drama grabs you from the start, as we watch British and American military leaders plan a drone strike on Somali terrorists, hiding in a house in the middle of a Nairobi neighborhood.

Helen Mirren is terrific as the U.S. Army Colonel Powell, faced with the decision as to whether to capture or kill the enemy. When it is discovered that the house is filled with destructive weapons and suicide bombers, the decision is made to kill. Estimates are made as to the number of innocent victims of “collateral damage,” and orders are given to strike.

But wait! What about that innocent young girl selling bread outside of the targeted house?

One human life is weighed against the almost certain deaths of many by the suicide bombers.

Time is running out. We watch Lt. General Benson (Alan Rickman in his last role) agonize over pushing the button. We watch two young officers waiting for orders to release the drone’s firepower. We watch the chain of command, as every layer of leadership tries to send the decision up the ladder of command.

Tensions rise. The cameras zoom in on the troubled faces of those who must make the most difficult of decisions and those who must carry them out.

The scene shifts from the remote areas far away from Nairobi, where war is carried out by men and women watching TV screens and monitors, far away from their human targets. We watch a bee-like mechanical bug as it flies over the beams of the targeted house, exposing and confirming the human targets (talk about sci-fi).

Time is running out and a decision must be made. The people on screen and the audience must weigh the choices and decide whether or not to put the life of one innocent child before the lives of many.

The decision and the aftermath are both excruciating, making “Eye in the Sky” an important movie that, more than most, involves the audience deeply. Now that’s great movie making!

Rated R because of some profanity and violence.

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