Eye in the Sky: "A harsh look at the realities of War"

Rarely does a movie come along that makes you as the audience step back and question the morality of war. As a population, we have been conditioned to believe that anything that doesn't directly involve us is none of our concern. Which is why it is such a welcome change when something or someone encourages a discussion on morality at such a universal level that you find yourself actively agreeing or disagreeing with characters portrayed in the film.

At it's core 'Eye in the Sky' is a thrilling war film, about a joint operation between the British, American and Kenyan Intelligence to capture 3 most wanted terrorists in Nairobi. As the plot unfolds and the mission parameters escalate dramatically, our minds are abruptly called to action when a 9 year old girl enters the danger zone.

Though it begins with a slightly convoluted sequence of locations, characters and military jargon, the film eventually settles into a measured yet heart pounding pace with the roles of each character becoming clear as crystal as soon as the mission gets underway. Throughout the course of the film, its classification into the thriller genre is completely justified as the audience is given a dramatic yet very real feel of a military operation of such a monumental scale through the eyes of a Colonel Katherine Powell (Hellen Mirren), Lt. Steve Watts (Aaron Paul), Lt. General Frank Benson (Late Sir Alan Rickman R.I.P) and Jama Farah (Barkhad Abdi), a Kenyan Intelligence operative on ground zero in Nairobi.

Regardless to say all the actors involved deliver a stellar performance that stick with you long after the end credits have rolled. The director, Gavin Hood delivers a very raw and real dynamic to the film that lends its way in making the audience believe in what the film stands for and the message the director wants to put across through his craft. A shining example of said impact is yours truly who was compelled to write this piece as a way of discussing a cinema experience that I can only describe as grounding.

Though it was released worldwide in 2016 I believe that the events of this film, hold relevance today more so than it ever did. In a world where war seems an ever looming inevitability, with ongoing revolutions and power struggles in the Middle East, with rising tensions between the US and North Korea, with drone strikes taking precedence over physical military attacks especially in hostile territories like Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen and Somalia, a film like 'Eye in the Sky' needs to remain in the light of relevance now more so than ever rather than fade away into the obscurity of insignificance.

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