Droning On

Normally, I would recommend you see "Eye in the Sky" primarily because it's the last screen work of the late Alan Rickman.   You should remember him for his superb acting and not all those crazy costumes and bad eye make-up he was reduced to wearing in those dopey Harry Potter movies.

But, beyond the fact that this is the last stop for Rickman, you should see this movie because it's just damn good.   A wonderful thriller that is expertly made by director Gavin Hood and it's ripped out of today's headlines.   You will not forget the power of this film any time soon.

Of course, it's all about fighting terrorists in this day and age where nobody can hide, thanks to the drones flying over our heads.    In this case, Kenya, England, and the state of Nevada are electronically connected by those eyes in the skies.   There's an extreme Islamic terrorist that just defected from London and is in Africa as part of the planning of a suicide bomb in a shopping mall.   The goal for all the characters in the disjointed parts of the world is to take down this terrorist nest before it takes down the rest of us.

But, wait, a little nine-year-old African girl has wandered into the bomb target zone as she sets up a table to sell her mom's bread.   If England and the US act, she will be part of the collateral damage.  And therein lies the moral dilemma behind this movie.

The cast is phenomenal as Helen Mirren, the aforementioned Rickman, and Aaron Paul question their motives.  Will the sacrifice of one innocent life now even out the potential loss of one hundred innocent lives down the road?   As the excitement of the story builds, you become torn yourself as to what is right and what is wrong.   As Rickman's character mentions late in the film, this is war and there are consequences.  It's a marvelous moment and speech that is almost literally the last time you will ever see him on screen.

But, in a compact 102 minutes, the filmmaker here not only captures your cinematic senses but your conscience as well.   These days, we usually say most movies are too long.   Well, this is just long enough.   Expertly directed and edited, "Eye in the Sky" is ideal entertainment and you should see it.  

Because they will be able to see that you are seeing it.

LEN'S RATING:  Three-and-a-half stars.

Dinner last night:  Beef and Chinese vegetable stir fry.