In “Eye In The Sky” Helen Mirren plays Colonel Katherine Powell, a UK-based military officer in command of a top secret drone operation. Their goal is to capture terrorists in Kenya. Through remote surveillance and on-the-ground intel, Powell discovers the targets are planning a suicide bombing and the mission escalates from “capture” to “kill.” But as American pilot Steve Watts (Aaron Paul) 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.
Helen Mirren, Aaron Paul, Barkhad Abdi and director Gavin Hood attended the film’s New York Premiere at AMC Lincoln Square. Other notables in attendance included Erich Bergen, Contessa Brewer, Dick Cavett, Lena Hall, Sheneille Jones, Laura Michelle Kelly, Taylor Louderman, Michael Pena, Vanessa Ray, Caroline Rhea, Alberto Rosende, Chuck Scarborough, Gay Talese, Robin Lord Taylor, Julie Taymor, Torrey Wigfield and Beau Willimon.
Mirren spoke about Alan Rickman, while introducing the film:
I think Alan would have been incredibly proud that this is his last film. I’m very moved that it is his last film because the person I see up on the screen as you all will see is Alan. It’s not Alan playing one of his wonderful character roles although he’s brilliant in this film. But it’s Alan as he was as a person: witty, intelligent, human and I know that Alan signed up for this film in the same way that all of us did because we were so touched and amazed and fascinated by this extraordinary script … I think it’s a very remarkable piece of work … it’s very very special. I hope that it will go into a canon of good if not great films about war. I think if Alan were sitting here tonight he like me and like all of us would have been very very proud to have been apart of it.
A fun after-party followed at Parkview Lounge. Bleecker Street release is now playing.
