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	A Mighty Heart
	Michael Winterbottom Angelina Jolie, Dan Futterman 2007		Based on Mariane Pearl's first-person account of her husband and fellow journalist Daniel's 2002 kidnapping by Muslim terrorists in Karachi, Pakistan, "A Mighty Heart" is the latest feature-length docudrama to reference the tragedy and aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks on America. And it's an insightful, thorough, even-handed recreation of the Pearls' ordeal, with substantial tension and emotional punch despite the story being common knowledge. The film stars Angelina Jolie and Dan Futterman as Mariane and Daniel, and is directed by Michael Winterbottom ("24 Hour Party People") with precision and an eye for the turbulent, exotic Karachi setting. Although it's a product of the same nightmare as the harrowing in-flight thriller "United 93" and the melodramatic tabloid-style drama "World Trade Center," it's a more personal and tightly focused movie. "A Mighty Heart" is, after all, as much about a husband and wife as it is about global crisis. Yes, Daniel Pearl is a respected Wall Street Journal reporter whose disappearance in a foreign country became an international incident that mobilized local security forces, the U.S. government, and the world media. But his relationship with Mariane brings palpable humanity to the reportage. After Daniel disappears on his way to an interview with an Islamic radical, Marianne becomes the emotional center of "A Mighty Heart." Jolie plays her subtly as a mixture of grace, fortitude, hope, pragmatism and reserve. One of Winterbottom's previous films was "In This World," a dark socio-political odyssey stretching from the Middle East to Western Europe, so this is familiar turf for him. His knack for adroitly juggling a wealth of characters and issues keeps "A Mighty Heart" beating strong.


	Wednesday, December 18, 2024





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