Film Review: Eye In The Sky

"Never Tell A Soldier That He Does Not Know The Cost Of War..."

Having just arrived back from the drone-filled mayhem of Muse's tenure at the O2 Arena, a gig in which the infamous remote-controlled weapons of destruction wowed me and my fellow rockers by flying around our heads in proper mind-boggling fashion, something of which a band like Muse could only get away with, the chance to witness Eye in the Sky was a chance to embrace the deadly nature of the world's newest and deadliest form of killing machines, where although drone-filled media scares fill the news almost 24/7, a chance to display their true ambiguity was something I was inherently interested in, particularly after last years' somewhat disappointing Good Kill, the Ethan Hawke thriller which attempted to cover similar territory. With a solid cast featuring the likes of Helen Mirren, Aaron Paul and Alan Rickman in one of his last performances before his untimely death this year, Eye in the Sky definitely had the chance to be the first mainstream movie to highlight the power of drone warfare and the polarised views upon it across the world. Did it succeed? Absolutely, with Eye in the Sky being a powerful, if sometimes ludicrous and slightly silly, war drama focusing on the morally complex issue of 21st century warfare.

Although following a plot-line remarkably similar to that of Good Kill, with the scenes in Nevada bearing an almost uncanny resemblance between the two, Eye in the Sky attempts to highlight the ambiguity and indecisive nature of the armchair warfare which engulfs the modern-day war on terror by handing us a situation in which the death of one may indeed help stop the deaths of many more in the future. Helming the responsibility of such is Helen Mirren's Colonel Powell, a military intelligence officer hell bent on capturing or killing top ranking Al-Shabaab extremists of which they have located in Nairobi, Kenya whilst being surrounded by Alan Rickman's General Benson in London and Aaron Paul's drone pilot Steve Watts, situated in the heart of the Nevada desert. Although Mirren shines in the lead role, it is Rickman and Paul who deserve the most critical attention with the hardened veteran being offset by the relative newcomer, broken by the power of his actions and the consequences it ultimately leads to. Some shoddy dialogue aside, with an abundance of cringe-worthy exposition, and rather silly CGI-created on-screen drones, Eye in the Sky is an of-the-moment war drama, one that has the strength of its' conviction to end the correct way and one that will no doubt heighten the awareness of drone warfare and the problems it fundamentally brings with it. 

Overall Score: 7/10

Film Review: Triple 9

"To Survive Out Here You Gotta Out-Monster The Monster..."

Of all the epic crime dramas to have graced our screens over the course of the past few decades or so, Michael Mann's Heat is the top drawer example, a film in which many, including Mann himself, have taken note from and subsequently strived to duplicate in usually unspectacular fashion with only a few breaking the mould and stepping out from the shadow of the perfect combination of style and substance Mann's masterpiece undoubtedly revels in. In the case of Triple 9 therefore, although not the perfect companion piece to Heat, John Hillcoat, director of the desolate survival thriller The Road, and the violent crime drama Lawless, has at least attempted to create something that adheres to the stylistic nature of Mann's classic albeit with a dark, twisted and overly gritty core, calling in a A-List cast as it goes. Although Triple 9 carries much more substance than that of the many generic action films released recently, it is a film that plays inevitably and undeniably second fiddle to the mastery of Mann's tour de force, whilst having a much darker and depressing feel, one which may leave viewers with a sense of unwitting desperation.

The storyline, focusing on deception and blackmail between a group of experienced thieves and the Russian Mafia, headed up in sheer scene-chewing fashion by Kate Winslet, is one that is primarily left slightly to the sidelines, with the undercurrent of the groups plan to engage a "Triple 9", a scenario of a downed officer, in order to successfully complete a heist and in turn. release them from their dealings with the Mafia, a secondary outfit, providing a support and a reason for the main aim of the movie; to create the most intense action sequences possible. Although the supposed lack of substance leads to an array of questioning after sitting down and actually thinking about it. Triple 9 can be excused for effectively managing to do what it really desires, with the action set-piece in the film being directed and shot in a grit-filled sense of realism that harks back to the bank heist in Heat, a scene that has been regarded by many as the most realistic action set-piece ever captured on film. Indeed not for everyone, with on-screen violence being ramped up rather unnecessarily, Triple 9 benefits from a fantastic ensemble cast, featuring Casey Affleck, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Aaron Paul and straight from The Walking Dead, Norman Reedus, all of whom impress, yet the film falls short of the sense of mastery others before it have managed to create resulting in a film that is solely for the set pieces, not for the bigger picture. 

Overall Score: 8/10

Need For Speed - The Movie Quicky Review!

I'm only going to spend 5 minutes writing this so please forgive for any mistakes but I'm a little pressed with everything else going on and feel a challenge will get me writing!

Initially I was really hoping that this movie was going to be a pile of crap and I would have something to tear into mercilessly without compromise. However, I found myself shocked. The movie was actually half decent. A few moments left me thinking "Why the fuck?" but I wrote it off too early as a simple rip-off by EA of the Fast franchise.

Although its not a movie that you can expect quality acting, set pieces, script and story, I find myself impressed. As a self confessed car fanatic, I enjoyed it for its aspect of free-roam fun. A little betrayal to kick it into gear and give some pace and a flurry of super cars and a supercharged Ford Mustang that is functional at turning a corner in excess of 90MPH without careering off-road and killing the local wildlife. Although I feel that the car would never hit the specified 230MPH, they are adamant. The elements of realism were just booted from play and replaced with Need for Speed's physics and vehicle engine for the added fun.

All of the stunts and driving throughout were all done. No CGI was used, just good old fashioned camera placement and some bloody good coordinators. The attention to this stands it above the Fast franchise as it shows that you don't need to hit fast forward or have some of the worst CGI known to man thrown into your biggest movie yet (I still hold you to that shit).

With sub par acting, question acts and an English women who grinds me up the wall, everything is fairly lacklustre. Its not a show piece film for your local art house cinema to rub themselves over, its just a good old fashion fun which has managed to disassociate itself from what is a very hit and miss gaming series. Counting everything, I would highly recommend if you just fancy a night out with a bit of mindless entertainment and some expensive cars getting trashed (Please be replicas you destroyed)...Upon calming down from the initial excitement, I feel its worth a solid 6.