First Take: Eye in the Sky- there aren’t many jokes I can do about this one

SYPNOSIS: Col. Katherine Powell, a military officer in command of an operation to capture terrorists in Kenya, sees her mission escalate when a girl enters the kill zone triggering an international dispute over the implications of modern warfare.

Gavin Hood’s back catalogue has been quite diverse, with credits including Ender’s Game and X-Men Origins: Wolverine- but he might have found his calling with this intense thriller. He grafts some incredible performances from Helen Mirren, Aaron Paul and a brilliant cast, but undoubtedly the real star of the show is the late, great Alan Rickman in his final on-screen performance before his unfortunate death in January. The plot is gripping, partly due to the tight 1 hour 42 minute runtime, but also due to some brilliant screenwriting from Guy Hibbert. It’s shot very well, with emphasis on the human cost of warfare. It might be a touchy topic in the modern cinema industry, but this film delivers an emotional punch as well as making a unique thriller. We might be looking at an underdog for Film of the Year.

RATING: 5/5