Good Kill

Greetings again from the darkness. It sounds like a screenwriter's workshop: write a story centered on a joystick, a computer monitor, a speaker phone and a shipping container. Most would surrender their Pulitzer dream and head back to the day job. Andrew Niccol, on the other hand, is a talented writer/director known for such projects as Gattaca, Lord of War, and The Truman Show. His story is set in 2010 and is "based on a true story" of drone warfare.

It could seem a bit dated to explore a topic that most have known about for years, but Niccol manages to wring out a story that keeps us engaged and more importantly, encourages discussion about the concept of "video game warfare".

Ethan Hawke plays a fighter pilot who has been reassigned as a drone pilot after serving 6 tours in Afghanistan. Each day he reports to duty on a Las Vegas base and spends 12 hours locked away in a cramped shipping container staring at a video monitor while delicately manipulating a joystick that can kill people 7000 miles away within 10 seconds. These killer drones have transformed warfare, and as far as I know, this is the first film version dedicated to the daily lives of the men and women serving this duty.

Given what we know about fighter pilots, it's not surprising that Hawke's character is crumbling emotionally … missing the danger that comes with a real cockpit. His marriage to January Jones is void of any intimacy or communication (partially due to his alcoholism), though surprisingly, Ms. Jones delivers something other than her typical cardboard cutout performance. Watching the suburban lifestyle of these two – grilling, backyard parties, math homework with the kids – brings nothing new to the screen, but tension is palpable as Hawke and his co-drone-pilot Zoe Kravitz are locked away and forced to follow morally-questionable orders from Langley (voiced by the great Peter Coyote). Put yourself on that joystick and imagine what you would do.

The story pushes us to discuss the dehumanization of war, and the idea that the Air Force is now best described as the "Chair Force". Especially interesting is the official verbiage used by the CIA and military in an effort to avoid "killing" and "innocent bystanders". Think about the fact that 3 decades have passed since we got caught up in the thrill of Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer as Top Gun pilots, and now some of the most deadly decisions are made based on a visual feed from a done hovering at 10,000 feet.

Mr. Niccol delivers a thought-provoking movie, which alone sets it above many. The drone's eye view follows not just the movements of the enemy, but also those of Hawke at home and in his car. Hawke's commanding officer is played by Bruce Greenwood, who delivers the film's best line: as Hawke is looking at Greenwood's fighter pilot photos, he says, you are probably thinking "I must have been a pilot before Pontius". It's a great line and one that reinforces how warfare has changed … from boots on the ground to recruits based on their video game savvy. Surgical strikes are the preferred manner of warfare, so watch this and ask yourself … what would you do?

This is a, at least in my opinion, a realistic portrayal of the inner conflict of UAV "pilot" and has very real characters with very real moral conflicts, and to me, that's a very interesting setup and my kind of movie. I don't think this'll be everyone's movie though. There's no epic awesome action sequence or extremely tense moments (there is a couple of moments that are more intense than the overall feel of the movie but not super intense). The main thing this movie has going for it is the deep gray-area type of moral conflict that the characters (not just the main character) face and it makes you think about them. Towards the end however, there is a very satisfactory feel that made you feel good and "all is just in the world" and that's a big plus for a movie like this, because a lot of these types of movie end in somewhat of an empty way. Now, as stated, because this isn't a entertainment kind of movie, there are going to be people saying that the characters were boring and monotonous, etc., but really, that's what fit the movie setup, and that's what is realistic. It's definitely not for everyone, but it was my type of film and I enjoyed it and plan to rewatch it to rethink through the moral conflicts in the movie.

About 20 minutes in I started to really gravitate to the subject material. I didn't realize this was going to be a film that would capture my attention as much as it did.

The main story is about the drone operators in our armed services, and his life while doing a job that requires taking lives all too frequently. Its very interesting, watching the psychological stresses of "being a fly on the wall," much less a fly with the option to light your day up.

Basically, a drone operator's job consists of killing and spying on terrorists.

As a part of a drone team currently operating various military and CIA operations, the main characters live in Vegas, and pretty much do this from their local office just down the road from home.

So these "soldiers" don't tour like a normal soldier might. They're posted locally... And their jobs do not require travel with today's communication tech.

You see, They get into their car... Drive to an undisclosed military base (close by daily commute)... Walk into a trailer loaded with state of the art communications and drone equipment... Sit down at their station... And kill people on the other side of the planet through a monitor with super HD resolution. (Military tech blows your progressive scan out of the water, just saying.)

The job is far from a normal one...

"You punch out... You drive home to your picture perfect neighborhood, your picture perfect family, but the images stay with you... Your actions... Stay with you."

Hands down a great topic to base a film on. Really enjoying it thoroughly...

By 40 minutes into this film, every news report I've seen on drones, every public debate and moral argument about the accountability in drone strikes... It all shot to the front of my thoughts as John Stewart rants suddenly came into focus.

A worthy watch... Real eye opener to how easily these resources could be abused and miss used by our shadowy government structure.

Leaves so many ethical boundaries scathed by the existence of this truly "hands off" way of going to war... And the kicker?

We've been doing it for years.

Its no wonder America is so hated...

Great film. Does a wonderful job exploring the arguments from every side... And makes some great points that show how grey war and terrorism can become.

At what point does "fighting terrorism" cross that line? When do the protectors of freedom become another societies terrorist?

This all comes into question as the supervisors of the drone teams make it very clear to them that their mission is a "Pre-Emptive Strike" against terrorism.

It touches on so many conversations that would demand too much accountability... Yet, our continued actions literally propel a cycle of violence forward by becoming the "PreEmptive" strikers.

It does good making the viewer aware of the potential "other side" perspective on how American's operate. It does a better job showing the psychological effects on the drone pilots that are forced to follow questionably unethical orders... Day, after day, after day.

I gotta say... Its a dialog that needs to happen. I'm really pleased someone made this film. They pulled together an excellent presentation of the issue while entertaining me with solid performances and an occasionally moving script.

This is a great film for anyone who wants to learn about what our military is doing and how drone strikes work... It keeps you engaged once you're in, offers a fair amount of big moments to chew on, and ultimately weaves a great story. Dare I say, its as good as American Sniper... Just in different ways. You can tell the films are by two completely different teams. But thats not to say the stories aren't equally compelling in nature.

I have to say that beyond the movie... Its awesome to see Ethan Hawke in so many interesting roles over the last couple years.

Totally worth your time. Great film.

Ethan's acting is probably the biggest deterrent for me in this movie, but luckily the cheesiness doesn't last more than the first half. Silly things like his leather jacket to help him stand out amongst his peers in the desert sun at mid day. The movie is so well directed though, and the script is paced superbly. The dialog and character development keep you inside the head without having to narrate or explain anything overtly to the viewer so it really provokes thought in an organic way.

Supporting actors are very well integrated. Overall a terrific movie. I give it an 8 but at times it would be +/- 1 from beginning to end (7 to start, 9 at the end).

Very highly recommended if you're in the mood for something cerebral and heartfelt. I'd compare it to Requiem for a Dream, Rebound or Paid in Full in that respect.

"I had information that the Taliban commander's brother would attend the funeral. So I waited until they were all there, saying their prayers... and then I blew them up too. That's my job." Thomas Egan (Hawke) is a major in the US Airforce who is trying to adjust to the modern "flying", piloting drones. He spends his days bombing and surveying damage 7000 miles away and his nights trying to reconcile what he as done. His life causes strain on his marriage and overall well being. This is a very interesting movie. It deals with something I never really thought of before, drone pilots can get PTSD too. This is not a happy movie at all, but it is a very realistic movie. Half of the movie shows how the pilots feels about piloting drones and the aftermath of their consequences. The other half is about the commanders and how they feel about the effectiveness and usefulness of them. Both sides make convincing arguments and that keeps you interested, invested and involved in the movie. Unlike some recent war movies this one does nothing to glorify the awfulness of battle and really makes you think. Overall, one of the best and most realistic war movies I have seen. More like Platoon than American Sniper. I really liked this one. I give it an A-.