Eye in the Sky

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZeVSdKtQVY

Eye in the Sky, directed by Gavin Hood, was released in early May this year, featuring both relatively unheard of actors and revered veterans of the acting world, such as Helen Mirren and the late Alan Rickman. Both are very versatile actors having starred in a number of genres ranging from serious roles to downright eccentric characters. The film itself was a great show of international cooperation, having actors from all over the world featuring in the production, as well as the story taking place in more than one country simultaneously. The editing was seamless, everything was sewn together perfectly.

Eye in the Sky was filled with a lot of tension from the beginning, keeping audiences on the edge of their seat throughout. There was no clear answer to how the film would end as we were kept in the dark until, in the final moments, the true ending was revealed, maintaining the suspense. The film itself gave us a more unique view of an action and suspense thriller, as unlike the usual front line approach associated with most of the genre, we were instead distanced, watching the action through an on screen camera lens for the most part. The film showed us the same story from many different points of view, both literally and figuratively, with the range of personalities in the characters. Though there was tension, there were also some more comedic moments in the film letting us see that the people who held the power were still human like us.

The film was a very real concept, it showed something that we never really see in movies. It showed us the humans behind the information and how the situations they are in affect them. It reminds us that the people who guard us are still human, and have emotions, that they are capable of mistakes. This is quite different from the rest of the genre where most of what we see is the front line action, but here, this is combined with the intelligence aspect of military operations in a very ingenious way. Not only do we see the military side, but we see the story of those who are innocent, who are affected by the actions we make. The film forces you to stop and think after watching it, as it shows that no matter what we do, we are all human and so fallible and that there are still people who don’t realise that. The film shows that actions have consequences and that it is not only the people who make the decisions who have to live with them, but the people who they affect as well.

Cinematically the film was a great experience, there was not much in the way of fancy CG explosions, but the movie did not need them. The story was consistent throughout and it almost felt as if you were in the room with them, looking through the cameras. We were shown different sides of the characters, we saw that they have lives outside of the operations they take part in, that they are like those who are affected by their actions. The fact that the story felt so real and was a real concept really hits home, because that could have been you in any of the places of the characters.

The film was an eye opening experience and something that makes you think about the world we live in, and how we treat others around us.

Beth Collins