Good Kill (2015) (English Language)

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Review

102min

Cast: Ethan Hawke, January Jones, Bruce Greenwood…and more

Ethan Hawke (Training Day, Boyhood) stars as Major Egan, a stern and decorated US Air Force pilot turned “drone” operator who struggles with responsibilities of conducting deadly warfare behind a computer screen, from the safety and comfort of a trailer in Las Vegas and against targets 7,000 miles away, as the line between terrorist and civilian becomes blurred and he starts to question the ethics of his actions Egan must face the consequences of “drone warfare” and the effects on his family and the world around him.

Writer/director Andrew Niccol (The Truman Show, Lord of War) presents a neither anti nor pro war film that tries to evenly depict the quickly changing nature of armed conflict, at least that’s how the film starts, it quickly however becomes a personal drama about the effect these actions have on the “soldiers” conducting them and the loved ones around them Ala the recent and controversial ‘American Sniper’ .

This change of pace is where ‘Good Kill’ starts to lose some of its focus and relevance as it goes from a quite profound study of an inevitably important issue within Western society to a run-of-the-mill family drama, many non-US audiences will be forgiven for not sympathizing with the “drone” operators given the devastating effects of their impersonal decision-making in the haze of the “War on Terror”.

Aside from the slightly tedious family drama aspect of ‘Good Kill’ the film is a milestone in cinema, depicting an aspect of technological advancement that raises serious questions about conducting video game-like military action and the detachment & lack of accountability this might result in when making life-and-death decisions, not to mention the inevitability that the “enemy” will eventually get their hands on this kind of technology.

There is also an interesting psychological study in there about the importance of “compartmentalization” for soldiers, i.e. caring for and protecting “your side” at any cost while coldly accepting and causing civilian loss and collateral damage when fighting the “enemy”.

Despite all of this ‘Good Kill’ is essentially a personal drama about a man loosing himself and seeking redemption but set within the dramatic and complex backdrop of modern warfare, an important film which is competently executed at best but based on a fascinating and thought-provoking premise.

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