When I first saw the trailer for "Eye in the Sky" I knew it was one of those movies I should see. You know the ones, the films that have an important message and ask poignant questions.
These stories' purpose seem not to be one of just entertainment, but one which needs the audience to ask itself significant questions. They cause us to reflect and contemplate the acts and actions of people around us. I for one love these type of movies, maybe it's the lit major in me but I've always enjoyed films that have a message and make me think .
"Eye in the Sky" is one of these.
As the story begins we see Helen Mirren as Col. Katherine Powell, a British officer who is overseeing a mission to capture terrorists who are are on the top of an international wanted list. The story unfolds and her mission escalates quickly changing into a complicated set of circumstances. It morphs from a simple capture to the question of acceptable collateral damage- even if the collateral damage is an innocent.
This is just one of the questions asked and argued at White Hall among several British Officials. This debate is a means to get the audience to ask it'self some tough questions. One of the points it hammers home is how easy it is to sit thousands of miles away and push a button causing death and destruction to the guilty but also to the innocent.
This movie is not a "good time" but it is done extremely well with a phenomenal cast and which requires the viewer to take a side and support their choice. In a world where these type of situations seem to be on the rise in areas we presumed to be safe (a concert in Paris) we have to start facing the choices we are making in the name of security and peace.
