Eye in the Sky (2015 film)

Eye in the Sky

UK release banner
Directed by Gavin Hood
Produced by
Written by Guy Hibbert
Starring
Music by
Cinematography Haris Zambarloukos
Edited by Megan Gill
Production
companies
Distributed by Entertainment One
Release dates
  • 11 September 2015 (2015-09-11) (TIFF)
  • 8 April 2016 (2016-04-08) (United Kingdom)
Running time
 102 minutes[1]
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Budget $13 million[2]
Box office $32.8 million[2]

Eye in the Sky is a 2015 British thriller film starring Helen Mirren, Aaron Paul, Alan Rickman, and Barkhad Abdi.[3] The film, directed by Gavin Hood and based on a screenplay by Guy Hibbert, is about military personnel facing legal, ethical, and political dilemmas presented by modern drone warfare against those using terrorist tactics, and civilians who are endangered by it. It was filmed in South Africa in late 2014 with the working title of The Kill Chain.[4] The film is the first production of Ged Doherty and Colin Firth's production company Raindog Films.[5] Firth was originally scheduled to play British Foreign Secretary James Willett.[6]

The film premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival on 11 September 2015. Bleecker Street distributed the film in theaters in the United States with a limited release on 11 March 2016 and then a wide release on April 1. It is one of the two last feature films starring Rickman, who died of pancreatic cancer in January 2016; the other is Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016).

Plot

The movie opens in Eastleigh, Nairobi, Kenya, where Alia Mo'Allim (Aisha Takow), a preteen girl, twirls a hula hoop that was just made by her father in their backyard.

British Colonel Katherine Powell (Helen Mirren) wakes up early in the morning and hears that an undercover British/Kenyan agent has been murdered by the Al-Shabaab terrorist group. From Northwood Headquarters she then begins her no-nonsense command of a mission to capture high-level Al-Shabaab militants meeting in a safehouse in Nairobi, Kenya. The militants include a British couple, Susan Helen Danford (based on Samantha Lewthwaite[7]) and her husband.

A multinational team works together on this capture mission, bound together by video images. Aerial surveillance is provided by a Reaper drone controlled from Creech Air Force Base in Nevada by USAF pilot Steve Watts (Aaron Paul). Undercover Kenyan field agents, including Jama Farah (Barkhad Abdi), use short-range ornithopter and insectothopter cameras for ground intelligence. Kenyan special forces are positioned nearby to make the arrest. Facial recognition to identify human targets is done in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The mission is supervised by a COBRA meeting that includes Lieutenant General Frank Benson (Alan Rickman), government ministers and the Attorney General.

Farah discovers that the terrorists have explosives and are preparing two suicide bombers for what is presumed to be an attack on a civilian target. Powell decides that the imminent bombing changes the mission objective from "capture" to "kill". She informs drone pilot Watts to prepare a precision Hellfire missile attack on the building and solicits the opinion of her legal counsel about doing so. To her frustration, her counsel advises her to seek approval from her superiors. Benson asks for permission from the COBRA members. Citing conflicting legal and political views and contrasting the tactical value of the assassination with the negative publicity of killing civilians and the status of some of the targets as American or British nationals, they fail to reach a decision and refer the question up to the foreign secretary (played by Iain Glen). Somewhat impaired by a bout of food poisoning on a trade mission to Singapore, he does not offer a definite answer and first tries to defer to the US Secretary of State (contacted on a cultural exchange in Beijing, he immediately authorises the strike) and then insists only for due diligence to be performed to minimize collateral damage.

Meanwhile, the situation at the house has become more difficult to assess. Alia Mo'Allim (Aisha Takow), who lives in the adjacent home, is visibly, but without her knowledge, in grave danger if the building and the explosives inside are struck by a missile. The collective buck passing of the lawyers and politicians involved in the chain of command or the kill chain argue the personal, political and legal merits of launching a Hellfire missile attack in a friendly country that is not at war with significant risk of Alia as collateral damage. Watts and his USAF colleague, Carrie Gershon (Phoebe Fox), can see Alia selling bread just outside the targeted building, and they seek to delay firing until she moves. Farah buys all of her bread so she will leave but, in the process, his cover is blown and he is forced to flee. The level of urgency is raised when, just as the suicide bombers finish their preparations, the surveillance video being captured by Farah's stationary insectothopter, hidden above in the rafters, cuts off due to a drained battery.

Seeking a way to get the authorisation she needs to execute the strike, Powell orders her risk-assessment officer to find strike parameters to let him quote a lower risk of civilian deaths. He re-evaluates a strike point and places the probability of Alia's death at 45–65%. She makes him report only the lower figure up the chain of command. The strike is subsequently authorised, and Watts reluctantly fires a missile. The building is destroyed, with casualties in and around it. Alia, who was reselling the bread Farah dropped upon fleeing, is injured and unconscious. However, Danford also survived. Watts has to fire a second missile, which strikes the site just as Alia's parents reach her. Both suffer minor injuries and rush Alia to a hospital, where she dies.

In the final London situation room scene, Benson delivers one of the most memorable lines in the script: "Never tell a soldier that he does not know the cost of war."[8]

The end credits begin rolling back to the beginning of the movie, with Alia shown twirling her hula hoop.

Cast

Production

  • Gavin Hood – director
  • Ged Doherty – producer
  • Colin Firth – producer
  • David Lancaster – producer
  • Guy Hibbert – writer
  • Megan Gill – editor
  • Johnny Breedt – production designer
  • Nico Louw – sound recordist
  • Paul Hepker – composer
  • Mark Kilian – composer

"Drones are new but still a weapon of warfare. It doesn't matter if it's a drone or a sniper rifle, the question is : 'Did we kill the right guy?'"

Gavin Hood, speaking on the film's subject matter.[14]

Eye in the Sky is directed by Gavin Hood based on a screenplay by Guy Hibbert. The screenplay was a project initially being developed at BBC Films, and FilmNation Entertainment acquired Hibbert's screenplay from BBC in September 2011 for Oliver Hirschbiegel to direct.[15] Production did not happen as anticipated, and Hood sent the screenplay to Xavier Marchand, president of Entertainment One. Marchand decided to develop it to produce a film with Hood directing.[16] Entertainment One partnered with Raindog Films in April 2014 to produce Eye in the Sky with Colin Firth as one of the producers.[17] Actors Helen Mirren and Aaron Paul joined the cast the following month.[18]

Hood, who was born in South Africa, chose to film Eye in the Sky in his home country.[19] Filming began in South Africa in September 2014.[16] Since the South African Civil Aviation Authority did not grant filmmakers permission to fly real drones in the country's airspace for the production, they used visual effects to display the drones.[20] Hood found practical locations throughout South Africa that substituted for settings in the film: an area that looked like Surrey for Mirren's character, clubs that looked located in Las Vegas, and Beaufort West which was a backdrop for the state of Nevada in the United States. Filming concluded on 4 November 2014.[21] None of the four lead actors—Mirren, Rickman, Paul, and Abdi—met one another during production, instead filming alone with Hood due to their characters' separate locations in the film.[22] For example, despite the two costarring in a pair of films (Eye in the Sky and the animated feature Help! I'm a Fish), Aaron Paul and Alan Rickman had never met each other in person, according to Paul himself in an interview with The Guardian.[23]

Mark Kilian and Paul Hepker, who scored Hood's films Tsotsi (2005) and Rendition (2007), reteamed to score Eye in the Sky[24] as did editor Megan Gill.

Release

Eye in the Sky premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival on 11 September 2015.[25] The film had its United States premiere on 7 January 2016 at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.[26]

Bleecker Street distributes the film in the United States,[27][28] releasing it in New York City and Los Angeles on 11 March 2016 and gradually expanding to additional markets on the following two weekends. On 1 April 2016, the film received a wide release. Deadline said this release was positioned to take place after the 2015–2016 awards season.[22]

Entertainment One distributed the film in the United Kingdom on 8 April 2016 and Malta in May 2016.[3] It will also distribute the film in Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Spain, Australia, and New Zealand.[18]

Reception

Box office

Eye in the Sky grossed $6.6 million in the UK[29] and $18.7 million in North America[30] and $32.8 million worldwide.

The movie grossed $113,803 in the United States on its opening weekend (March 11–13, 2016) from five screens, a per-screen average of $22,761. In its wide release opening the film grossed $4 million, finishing 9th at the box office.[31]

Critical response

Eye in the Sky received positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 95%, based on 175 critics, with a weighted average score of 7.5/10. The site's consensus reads, "As taut as it is timely, Eye in the Sky offers a powerfully acted – and unusually cerebral – spin on the modern wartime political thriller."[32] On Metacritic, the film has a normalized score of 73 out of 100, based on 38 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[33]

Rickman's performance was well received by critics, with Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times saying, "Mr. Rickman was never nominated for an Academy Award and it's probably a long shot for a posthumous Supporting Actor for this film -- but his work here is a reminder of what a special talent he possessed."[34]

Dr. Peter Asaro on Science & Film reviewed the accuracy of the advanced military technology depicted in the film concluding, "keep in mind that while some of the advanced technologies depicted are not yet out in the field, many are only a few years away from being a reality."[35]

Public response to the morality play about collateral damage within the film was muted.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Eye in the Sky (15)". British Board of Film Classification. 1 February 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Eye in the Sky (2016)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
  3. 1 2 Staff (9 December 2015). "Eye in the Sky: watch the UK trailer for the drone warfare drama starring Helen Mirren and Alan Rickman – video". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  4. ↑ http://billmoyers.com/story/eye-in-the-sky-screenwriter-guy-hibbert-drone-warfare-and-the-kill-chain/
  5. ↑ http://www.thecallsheet.co.za/american-producer-makes-afrikaans-film
  6. ↑ http://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2014/05/helen-mirren-and-colin-firth-work-together-for-the-first-time-in-eye-in-the-sky-thriller
  7. ↑ http://collider.com/helen-mirren-eye-in-the-sky-gavin-hood-interview-alan-rickman/ Collider.com Retrieved May 3, 2016
  8. ↑ YouTube video "Alan Rickman's final speech"
  9. 1 2 White, James (22 October 2014). "Exclusive First Look At Helen Mirren In Eye In The Sky". Empire. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  10. 1 2 3 Reilly, Travis (28 October 2014). "'Breaking Bad' Star Aaron Paul Is a Conflicted Drone Pilot in 'Eye in the Sky'". TheWrap. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Grierson, Tim (11 September 2015). "'Eye In The Sky': Review". Screen International. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
  12. ↑ Thangevelo, Debashine (2 February 2015). "SA's Beukes to raise hell in Hollywood". Independent Online. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  13. ↑ Thangevelo, Debashine (2 February 2015). "Kim's kick-a** roles in US productions". Independent Online. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  14. ↑ Trenholm, Richard (August 23, 2016). "Life in the kill box: 'Eye in the Sky' targets the ethics of drone strikes". CNET. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  15. ↑ McNary, Dave (12 September 2011). "FilmNation flies high with 'Sky'". Variety. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  16. 1 2 McClintock, Pamela; Anderson, Ariston (5 September 2014). "Toronto: First Controversial Drone Movie Strikes, Questions U.S. Policy". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  17. ↑ Barraclough, Leo (30 April 2014). "Cannes: eOne Partners with Colin Firth, Ged Doherty on 'Eye in the Sky'". Variety. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  18. 1 2 Sneider, Jeff (16 May 2014). "Aaron Paul, Helen Mirren Join Colin Firth in Thriller 'Eye in the Sky'". The Wrap. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  19. ↑ Staff (16 January 2015). "Hood tackles Eye in the Sky By". Screen Africa. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  20. ↑ Staff (4 June 2014). "Drag on drone movie". The Times. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
  21. ↑ Cornelius, Jerome (5 November 2014). "Gavin Hood ready to go to war". The Times. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  22. 1 2 D'Alessandro, Anthony (7 October 2015). "Aaron Paul-Helen Mirren Drone Thriller 'Eye In The Sky' Spies March 2016 Release Date". Deadline. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  23. ↑ Anthony, Andrew (April 10, 2016). "Aaron Paul: 'It's impossible not to throw our own emotions into the mix'". The Guardian. Retrieved August 31, 2016.
  24. ↑ Staff (29 January 2015). "Mark Kilian & Paul Hepker to Score Gavin Hood's 'Eye in the Sky'". Film Music Reporter. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  25. ↑ Punter, Jennie (28 July 2015). "Toronto Fest to Open With Jake Gyllenhaal's 'Demolition'; 'Danish Girl,' 'Martian' in Lineup". Variety. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  26. ↑ Fessier, Bruce (18 December 2015). "Complete Palm Springs film festival lineup announced". The Desert Sun. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  27. ↑ Setoodeh, Ramin; Lang, Brent (14 September 2015). "Toronto: Bleecker Street Acquires 'Eye in the Sky' Starring Helen Mirren". Variety. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  28. ↑ Fleming, Mike (14 September 2015). "'Eye In The Sky' Deal Done, With Bleecker Street Inching Over Fox Searchlight & Roadside – Toronto". Deadline. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  29. ↑ "Foreign total gross". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
  30. ↑ Eye in the Sky at Box Office Mojo
  31. ↑
  32. ↑ "Eye in the Sky (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
  33. ↑ "Eye in the Sky Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
  34. ↑ "Eye in the Sky': Helen Mirren, co-stars excel in tense war drama". Chicago Sun-Times. 13 April 2016.
  35. ↑ http://scienceandfilm.org/articles/2686/dr-peter-asaro-on-drone-technology-in-eye-in-the-sky

External links

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