A Mighty Heart (B or 3/4 stars)
'A Mighty Heart' is a docudrama directed by Michael Winterbottom. Based on Mariane Pearl's memoirs, this film shows us, at arm's length, the events of the 1 month period from the perspective of those who failed to save a kidnapped American journalist, Daniel Pearl (Dan Futterman). These perspectives include his colleagues at 'The Wall Street Journal', some Pakistani police officers (including Irfan Khan of The Namesake), & of course, his pregnant wife & fellow journalist, Mariane Pearl (Angelina Jolie). Fascinating film; if lacking some passion. But Jolie's gutsy, emotional performance saves it.
At the time of his abduction, Daniel & Mariane had been stationed in Karachi, Pakistan. He had been researching a story about a possible link(s) between Pakistan's Services Intelligence and a Richard Reid, belonging to Al Qaida. One day in January of '02, Dan kisses Mariane goodbye, he steps into a cab and she would never see him again. On his way to an interview with Sheik Gilani, he's diverted and taken hostage at a secret shack in the middle of Hell. Demands were made, and all parties tried their very best to help Mariane by tracking down the kidnappers. Complying would be easy, they just wanted him back alive & unharmed; even Colin Powell became involved. But we all know it was far too late. Feb 1st, 2002 - Daniel Pearl was mortally dismembered.
Many of those associated with this heinous crime against humanity were arrested & sentenced for something resembling 25 yrs. or so. But as we all know, that doesn't make us feel much better, after the fact. 'A Mighty Heart' examines the big moments of the month in a crisp 100 minutes. Any longer and it may have tossed me into an exasperatingly depressed state. This film offers a concise, great example of the fear & loathing of terrorism in this world. From the initial disappearance, to the concern, to the police procedurals, the tensions, the hope, & the ultimate disappointment, we feel it all. The movie's pace is urgent. So even though we know the outcome, there's built-in suspense because we're all waiting for Mariane/ Jolie's grievous realization of her husband's fate ... on screen.
'A Mighty Heart' captures disarray as only we could have imagined it for Mariane and those involved during that tumultuous month. However, because of this well-intended disarray, following some portions of the film (in the middle) became a bit difficult. Middle Eastern names are thrown at us, faces come & go, people are jumping in & out of cars, & it takes a minute or two to reprocess and make heads or tails during some critical moments. The film is very hectic in its 'connect-the-dots' layout and leaves little breathing room for appropriate sentiment. But, Mariane Pearl is an incredibly brave woman. And Angelina Jolie's smart, visceral portrayal feels accurate. In fact, the whole film feels accurate by toning down ANY sense of 'dramatization' ... a hard feat in cinema, nowadays.
At the time of his abduction, Daniel & Mariane had been stationed in Karachi, Pakistan. He had been researching a story about a possible link(s) between Pakistan's Services Intelligence and a Richard Reid, belonging to Al Qaida. One day in January of '02, Dan kisses Mariane goodbye, he steps into a cab and she would never see him again. On his way to an interview with Sheik Gilani, he's diverted and taken hostage at a secret shack in the middle of Hell. Demands were made, and all parties tried their very best to help Mariane by tracking down the kidnappers. Complying would be easy, they just wanted him back alive & unharmed; even Colin Powell became involved. But we all know it was far too late. Feb 1st, 2002 - Daniel Pearl was mortally dismembered.
Many of those associated with this heinous crime against humanity were arrested & sentenced for something resembling 25 yrs. or so. But as we all know, that doesn't make us feel much better, after the fact. 'A Mighty Heart' examines the big moments of the month in a crisp 100 minutes. Any longer and it may have tossed me into an exasperatingly depressed state. This film offers a concise, great example of the fear & loathing of terrorism in this world. From the initial disappearance, to the concern, to the police procedurals, the tensions, the hope, & the ultimate disappointment, we feel it all. The movie's pace is urgent. So even though we know the outcome, there's built-in suspense because we're all waiting for Mariane/ Jolie's grievous realization of her husband's fate ... on screen.
'A Mighty Heart' captures disarray as only we could have imagined it for Mariane and those involved during that tumultuous month. However, because of this well-intended disarray, following some portions of the film (in the middle) became a bit difficult. Middle Eastern names are thrown at us, faces come & go, people are jumping in & out of cars, & it takes a minute or two to reprocess and make heads or tails during some critical moments. The film is very hectic in its 'connect-the-dots' layout and leaves little breathing room for appropriate sentiment. But, Mariane Pearl is an incredibly brave woman. And Angelina Jolie's smart, visceral portrayal feels accurate. In fact, the whole film feels accurate by toning down ANY sense of 'dramatization' ... a hard feat in cinema, nowadays.