Ummmm... how did you get a focal length of 200mm with a 17-35 f/2.8 lens?
I'm not bothered by the far eye being the one in focus, but I think you're right--having the near eye in focus (and thus more of the face in focus, too) might be more effective. You probably can't stop down to f/8 for more DoF without having problems with camera shake, unless you've got the lens stabilized somehow.