A UK-based military officer in command of a top secret drone operation to capture terrorists in Kenya discovers the targets are planning a suicide bombing and the mission escalates from “capture” to “kill.” As American pilot Steve Watts is about to engage, a nine-year old girl enters the kill zone, triggering an international dispute reaching the highest levels of US and British government over the moral, political, and personal implications of modern warfare.
Credits: TheMovieDb.
Film Cast:
- Colonel Katherine Powell: Helen Mirren
- Steve Watts: Aaron Paul
- Lieutenant General Frank Benson: Alan Rickman
- Jama Farah: Barkhad Abdi
- Brian Woodale: Jeremy Northam
- Carrie Gershon: Phoebe Fox
- Musa Mo’Allim: Armaan Haggio
- Alia Mo’Allim: Aisha Takow
- Angela Northman: Monica Dolan
- George Matherson: Richard McCabe
- Sergeant Mushtaq Saddiq: Babou Ceesay
- Major Harold Webb: John Heffernan
- Ken Stanitzke: Michael O’Keefe
- Ms. Jillian Goldman: Laila Robins
- James Willett: Iain Glen
- Fatima Mo’Allim: Faisa Hassan
- Simon Powell: Bob Chappell
- Reporter: Alex Gallafent
- Sergeant Mike Gleeson: Carl Beukes
- Female Sergeant: Kate Liquorish
- Staff Sergeant: Richard Stephenson
- Female Corporal: Gabriella Pinto
- Male Corporal: Tylan Wray
- Driver One: Hossain Dahir
- Muhammad Abdisalaam: Mondé Sibisi
- Agent Atieno: Warren Masemola
- Omar: Ahmed Mohamed Ali
- Matt Levery: Lemogang Tsipa
- Command Support Staff: Paul Spaulding
- Lieutenant Colonel Ed Walsh: Gavin Hood
- First Crewman: Kenneth Fok
- Second Crewman – K. Moore: Zak Rowlands
- Parklands Gate Guard: Henry Pilime
- Parklands Gate Guard: Sammy Maina
- Shahid Ahmed: Hassan Abdullah
- Damisi: Ebby Weyime
- Major Moses Owiti: Vusi Kunene
- Militia Leader: Mohammed Ali Sahra
- Poor Woman: Chaltu Ahmed
- Jack Cleary: Francis Chouler
- Benson’s Aide-De-Camp: Ed Suter
- Rasheed Hamud: Roberto Meyer
- Driver Two: Omar Abu Kadir
- Lucy Galvez: Kim Suzanne Engelbrecht
- Image Analyst: James Alexander
- Amadu Gate Guard: Dileef Rahim
- Amadu Gate Guard: Robert Omache
- Woman Buying Bread: Istar Takow
- Kenyan Captain: Bronson Mwangi
- Susan Danford / Ayesha Al-Hady: Lex King
- Street Vendor (Buckets): Andrew Ahula
- Militia Man: Hilowli Hassan
- Amadu Mukhtar: Abdi Mohamed Osman
- Abdullah Al-Hady: Dek Hassan
- Khalid: Ali Mohamed
- Osman Abade: Ma Mohamed
- Kate Barnes: Jessica Jones
- Tom Bellamy: Daniel Fox
- Nigel Adler: Graham Hopkins
- Esther Alvarez: Sonia Esgueira
- Abdi: Mohamed Abdirahmaan
- Abdi Militia Soldier: Mohamed Fidow
- Woman Buying Bread: Sabrina Hassan Abdulle
- Woman Buying Bread: Fatima Mohamed Mohamud
- Passerby: Timayare Shamso Hassan
- Woman Buying Bread: Fowzia Dahir
- Ali: Abdilatief Takow
- Pedestrian: Fatumo Sheknoor Ali
- Pedestrian: Hamdi Adam Shire
- Nurse: Thelma Mabina
- Doctor: Sandile Ntobla
Film Crew:
- Casting: Moonyeenn Lee
- Production Design: Johnny Breedt
- Casting: Deborah Aquila
- In Memory Of: Alan Rickman
- Producer: Colin Firth
- Foley Artist: Zane D. Bruce
- Sound Effects Editor: Tony Lamberti
- Director: Gavin Hood
- Orchestrator: Paul Hepker
- Conductor: Mark Kilian
- Editor: Megan Gill
- Set Decoration: Fred Du Preez
- “A” Camera Operator: Haris Zambarloukos
- Key Makeup Artist: Juanette Van Der Merwe
- Writer: Guy Hibbert
- Casting: Kate Dowd
- Casting Associate: Jennifer L. Smith
- Co-Producer: Karen Lunder
- Producer: David Lancaster
- Executive Producer: Xavier Marchand
- Executive Producer: Benedict Carver
- Executive Producer: Stephen Wright
- Music Supervisor: Nick Angel
- ADR Voice Casting: Barbara Harris
- Costume Design: Ruy Filipe
- Executive Producer: Claudia Bluemhuber
- Casting: Tricia Wood
- Still Photographer: Keith Bernstein
- Gaffer: John McKay
- Foley Artist: John Sievert
- Foley Mixer: Randy Wilson
- Title Designer: Aaron Becker
- Unit Production Manager: Cheryl Eatock
- “B” Camera Operator: James Frater
- Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Adam Jenkins
- Sound Effects Editor: Ronald Eng
- Orchestrator: Matthew Janszen
- Sound Designer: Bill R. Dean
- Script Supervisor: Morag Cameron
- Art Department Coordinator: Maeve Slemon
- Foley Artist: Stefan Fraticelli
- Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Craig Mann
- Supervising Art Director: Patrick O’Connor
- Publicist: Joy Sapieka
- Property Master: Kobus Swart
- Aerial Director of Photography: Skip Margetts
- Art Direction: Graeme Cowie
- Producer: Ged Doherty
- Special Effects Supervisor: Mickey Kirsten
- Executive Producer: Anne Sheehan
- Dialogue Editor: Joe Schiff
- Music Editor: Jim Harrison
- Casting Associate: Clare Harlow
- Assistant Art Director: Joseph Mosikwa
- Draughtsman: Malwande Sigabi
- Costume Supervisor: Stacey Dunn
- Armorer: Sheena Peters
- Special Effects Coordinator: Vasili Rinquest
- Dialogue Editor: Chase Keehn
- Sound Recordist: Nico Louw
- Makeup Designer: Raine Rafter
- Assistant Editor: Mieke Vlaming
- ADR Mixer: Judah Getz
- Best Boy Grip: Dan Sigobongo
- Production Manager: Carol Heij
- First Assistant Director: Andre Weavind
- Foley Editor: Trent Richmond
- Key Grip: J.P. Ridgway
- Rigging Gaffer: Dudley Fillies
- Extras Casting Coordinator: Craig Swanepoel
- Second Assistant Director: Robyn Glaser
- Stunt Coordinator: Darrell McLean
- Post Production Supervisor: Tamara Gagarin
- Graphic Designer: Lucille Doman
- Construction Coordinator: Tendai Gava
- Dolly Grip: Bhodi Schoeman
- Costume Standby: Kelly Watson
- Costume Assistant: Osias Mndaweni
- Costume Assistant: Portia Mavityo
- Costume Assistant: Rebekah Russell
- Seamstress: Cynthia Voorslag
- Seamstress: Hazel Adams
- Seamstress: Mbali Gladys Silere
- Key Makeup Artist: Minuche Snyman
- Prosthetic Makeup Artist: Tarryn Kohler
- Prosthetic Makeup Artist: Johan “Dries” Andries
- Makeup Artist: Camilla Crewe
- Key Hair Stylist: Odette Rebok
- Location Manager: Etienne van Niekerk
- Unit Manager: Wikus van der Merwe
- Production Coordinator: Thato Mogoje
- Production Coordinator: Tim Shaw
- Production Secretary: Amanda Kwange
- Script Supervisor: Sonja Lowicki
- Transportation Coordinator: Juhlene Moller
- Extras Casting Coordinator: Mario Jansen
- Foley Mixer: Ron Mellegers
- Foley Mixer: Antony Zeller
Movie Reviews:
- Reno: > The modern warfare, and its advantages as well as drawbacks.
A new kind of war. When everyone is worried about robots might take over our jobs, it meant military as well. There was not robots in this, but a war fought from a safe distance and soldiers don’t have to be physically trained so well, even the geeks with the gaming knowledge can take over. So a film about the modern warfare where the casualty rate is very minimum and can be accomplished before any major assault take place.
From the South African director of ‘Ender’s Game’ fame. This is slightly a similar theme, but a real world affair and a real time presentation. Initially I thought it was a remake of the Hong Kong film of the same name. We had seen drone attacks in the films, but they won’t last for a few minutes. This film was entirely about how drone missions work that told with detail.
“Never tell a soldier that he does not know the cost of war.”
This was a very good film and they must make a sequel to it. This film will get a special status going towards the future. There were no physically exceptional performances, the stars’ presence and their verbal expressions were stronger. So there many thrilling scenes with great lines, especially Alan Rickman’s final dialogue. This film was his final film and he was excellent like the usual. Even the Abdi’s role was small, but powerful and so Helen Mirren’s, but Aaron Paul and the rest were decent.
The story was good, but I did not like the too much sentimentalised. Because all’s fair in love and war. You won’t make a film to please the terrorists and their sympathisers. Other than that it is a masterpiece. Surely worth a watch.
8/10
- DanDare: Eye in the Sky wants to explore the question of drone warfare.
An operation to capture a terrorist cell in Kenya. Helen Mirren plays Colonel who is rather gung ho and wants to take out the bad guys before they do more harm.
Aaron Paul is a drone pilot who is dithering because of the risk to civilian casualties.
The film pursues the human touch of a young girl selling bread in the market place, being at the wrong place as that is where the drone aims to strike.
Eye in the Sky is an oddly structured film, it is tense as the audience wonders of the little girl will be safe. It also wants to have an open and even debate on the morals and perils of drone warfare but it all feels rather undercooked and underwhelming.
This was Alan Rickman’s final film, he rightly has the last line: ‘Never tell a soldier they don’t know the cost of war.’
- Jack Elliott: I was looking for a film to watch. Being a big Helen Mirren fan, I decided to give this one a go. What a great choice it was!
The fact that the entire film is in real time, meaning we watch the event as they unfold in real time, makes it a true edge-of-the-seat stuff. Acting was nothing to brag about but the story was great. As you watch it, you keep finding yourself arguing with yourself, trying to decide what you would actually do if you were one of the characters in the film.
If you’re looking for something to watch and have access to this film, don’t even think for a second and press that play button.
Would I watch it again? Yes! Would I make my friends watch it? Absolutely!