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A Mighty Heart
Directed by: Michael Winterbottom
Starring: Angelina Jolie
Genre:
Drama
Run Time: 108 min.
Release Date:
June 2007
On The Web:
Official
Site
Teaser:
Movie Trailer
Reviewed by
Byron Merritt |
First let me say that my
heart goes out to the widow Mariane Pearl for what she had to go through
following the kidnapping and subsequent murder/beheading of her husband,
Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. I can’t even begin to imagine
the true weight of what she went through after learning of his death.
And this film tries valiantly to get this message across to viewers and
succeeds only in Angelina Jolie’s surprisingly great performance as
Mariane Pearl, but fails in almost all other aspects.
Following the events of 9/11, Daniel Pearl (played by Dan Futterman) and
his French wife Mariane (played by Angelina Jolie,
THE GOOD SHEPHERD)
remain in the Middle East to carry on reporting events as they continued
to unfurl. Ultimately this would be Daniel’s undoing, finally nosing too
far into jihadist territory. His mutilated body would be found later cut
into many pieces. But this isn’t the story of Daniel, it’s about the
wife he left behind: the beautiful Mariane. Her aching desire to find
her missing husband becomes an obsession, not only for herself but for
their unborn child (she’s months along in her pregnancy when Daniel
disappears).
Helping in the investigation are parts of the U.S. Consulate in Karachi,
Pakistan and the Karachi police. Most notable among them is Captain
Javed Habib (played by Irfan Khan) who would later be recognized for his
incredible detective skills in rooting out those involved in Daniel’s
death.
Surrounded by friends and Daniel’s coworker affiliates, Mariane is
forced to come to terms with the dangers her husband is in while also
trying to stay healthy during her pregnancy. Eating becomes a chore.
Waiting becomes unbearable. Time slips past as does hope. Eventually the
worst comes to fruition.
Jolies performance aside (she’s been nominated for the Best Actress
Award at the Golden Globes this year [2007]), the film is terribly
confusing. The story whips from the home base of Mariane’s residence
sanctuary and out into Karachi’s muddled streets with no understanding
given to movie watchers. Too many times I was scratching my head
wondering, “Who is this? A good guy or a bad one?” or “Who’s computer
are they confiscating and why?” or “Why are people shooting at each
other?” Perhaps that was part of what the film’s message was about: how
confusing places outside the U.S. truly are. But this translated so
poorly that it made me want to shut off the film, Jolie’s performance
being the only saving grace.
It’s too bad, really. This could’ve been a much more gripping human
interest story with a lot of information about who the murderers were and how
they intersected with Daniel’s life and, ultimately, with Mariane's
"mighty heart." Instead we’ve got a pretty big mess
with sloppy storytelling and a bad script.
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Image from A Mighty Heart
DVD cost: $28.99
Purchase:
BestPrices.com
Film Review Stew
Favorite? No.
Stew Poo-Poo? No.
Newsworthy:
Bollywood actor 'Irfan
Kahn (I)' who plays Captain could not obtain a visa to enter Pakistan.
Movie Quote: "Danny
had an interview last night and he's not home yet."
Other Actors/Actresses
from A Mighty Heart
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