Drone

When I looked at the poster I thought: A war movie focusing on drone warfare. Sean Bean in there made me watch it. I was quite surprised to find a drama that addresses real issues. And quite a poignant one as well. The pace of the movie and the initial suspense created carried through very well. The score I found to be exceptional, building the drama subtly but methodically. Yes, there are many places it could have been better. But overall a good watch with a well-told story that builds to a surprising climax. Patrick Sabongui was excellent. I would love to see him in deeper movies, as he has the talent to achieve much more (than Flash and Shooter). I would rate this as a good family movie, as it makes you think about the world we live in. Intolerance, building International tensions and as Roger Waters aptly said: "The bravery of being out of range".

This picture designed for thinking audiences, looks at modern warfare and should leave the thoughtful viewer with plenty to consider. Have we become too desensitized to push-button drone strikes from afar, and lost the ability to consider the innocent by-standers..the 'collateral' damage?

It's a well-made movie with strong cinematic visual elements (especially at the opening) good central performances, and bares its soul allowing us to see some of the sorry outcomes of assassination from a distance - this time, offering insights into family impacts from both sides. It won't please action fans but also doesn't outstay its welcome. For some, it might seem a little confusing at times but patient audiences should appreciate the overall impact and statements. One of the better Canadian productions.

The ingredients to make a good movie were all there but in the end Drone is just an average movie. Not awful though but certainly not great either. The cast and the acting were not bad, just not award winning acting let us say. I was expecting a lot more action but besides the first ten minutes where there is a bit of action the rest is all a bit too slow and sometimes a bit boring. It could have used a bit more suspense to keep it interesting. Also the story was too far fetched to make it believable, like there is no way a guy would just find out who exactly from the CIA would bomb his family. Not even an advanced spy would come with that information, let alone a random guy. The story was just too slow and not believable enough to make it a great movie.

There are two other drone dilemma movies, Good Kill and Eye In The Sky. Drone carries on the same theme, and is on par with them. If you liked those two movies mentioned then you'll like this one. The framing of the shots in Drone is special. Fantastic use is made of mirrors and arial shots. There is also a brilliant soundtrack with a tragic Eastern edge, which overlays really effectively on the main drama, almost all of which takes place in suburban USA. Initially we see the contrast between the two cultures, drawn with lovely vivid colour and detail. The theme of war is carried through with subtle, clever touches, such as a flag fluttering, domestic aircraft either seen above or heard in the distance, or a clever fusion of traffic sounds and a gameboy, creating an odd sound eerily like a barrage in the distance. It's all building up to something. My gripe with the movie is the over-complication of the theme of truth, as opposed to the main theme of collateral damage and responsibility. For me that was too much information serving only to overdramatise the story. The film wasn't a long one, which helped. I wondered at the wisdom of casting Sean Bean. It wasn't his acting so much, which was very good, but rather his character role. He seemed very untidy and unkept for a man at the forefront of new technologies, and seemed to be constantly fidgeting, as though he didn't know what to do with his hands. What the hell, maybe that was a hint at conscience. If so then it didn't work as well as other aspects of the movie mentioned above. It's a good movie, with just the right amount of tension, craft and thoughtfulness for its length, and of course, as we pilot a way forward in a new world of technologies we certainly need movies like Drone.

Here are a couple of examples and they require an attentive mind to spot them. I see a man who wouldn't hurt a fly. To me I see not a gentleness but strong religious beliefs.

Another good example is of a man slowly and carefully washing himself using a pail of water. What I see here is ritual.

A third example, the most persuasive in the opening act, is watching that recently cleansed man walking out into the daylight, coldly and calmly past his still quivering victim along a waterway choked with floating garbage.

This is a movie that makes the viewer read between the lines.

You have to study the context and emotion, not a dialog heavy movie you can listen to in the background and accomplish other tasks.