Film No. 20 (2016) Eye In The Sky March 14th.

Film No. 20 (2016) March 14th.  6.30 PM LUNA WINDSOR Nedlands.

"If they kill 80 people, we win the propaganda war, if we kill one child, they do".(Just some of the diplomatic banter exchanged during the decision making process).

Once upon a time war movies were the staple diet of cinema goers throughout the world. A War Movie had everything; good conquering evil, the seeking of revenge against the odds and romance under difficult circumstances. Eye In The Sky may be the film to rekindle the genre via and age old ingredient; suspense.


Modern warfare is a complex game in 2016. We only have to stream a news station to absorb the latest random mass bombing or shooting to comprehend this fact. Eye in the Sky propels us into a situation which legitimizes aspects of this complex game. What this film does well, even if it's a little far fetched, is bring a human face and the "what if" factor into the narrative. 


Colonel Katherine Powell(Helen Mirren) has tracked a British subject turned terrorist, Aisha al Hady, to a small fortress in Somalia, Africa. The methods of tracking and the devices used in the process range from a drone stationed kilometres above, strategically placed hi definition cameras and electronic flying bugs. They are elaborate and by themselves worth the price of a ticket to this film. Time is ticking and Powell needs to eliminate her target.


Mirren returns to her "hard arse" persona (Jayne Tennison, Prime Suspect) here and is effective. The real intrigue comes in the scenes where diplomacy holds the key. As Powell waits for the decision allowing her to move, circumstances arise that complicate the decision making process. We meet the highest ranking diplomats all weighing up their options depending on their agendas. Eventually a couple of rookie drone pilots (Aaron Paul and Phoebe Fox), sitting in a shack in the Nervada desert, hold a crucial key. In the end there are more questions asked than answered and this added to the thrill.  10GUMS.