On January 23, 2002, Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl is to fly from Karachi to Dubai with his pregnant wife, Mariane, also a reporter. On the day before, with great care, he has arranged an interview in a café with an Islamic fundamentalist cleric. When Danny doesn't return, Mariane initiates a search. Pakistani police, American embassy personnel, and the FBI examine witnesses, phone records, e-mails, and hard drives. Who has him? Where is he? There's also the why: because of U.S. abuse of prisoners at Guantanamo, because of a history of Journal cooperation with the CIA, because Pearl is a Jew? Through it all, Mariane is clearheaded, direct, and determined.
Genre(s): Biography, Drama, History, Thriller
Runtime: 108 minutes
Rating: 6.7/10 (12,028 votes)
Release Date: 21 May 2007
Country: USA, UK
Languages: English, French, Urdu, Arabic
Company: Paramount Vantage
Sound: SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS
MPAA: Rated R for language.
Director(s): Michael Winterbottom
Producer(s):
Andrew Eaton – producer
Dede Gardner – producer
Arti Gupta – local producer: India (as Arti Gupta Surendranath)
Susan Kirr – line producer: Texas
Anita Overland – co-producer
Brad Pitt – producer
Writer(s):
John Orloff – (screenplay)
Mariane Pearl – (book)
Cast:
Dan Futterman – Daniel 'Danny' Pearl
Angelina Jolie – Mariane Pearl
Archie Panjabi – Asra
Mohammed Afzal – Shabbir
Mushtaq Khan – Danny's Taxi Driver (as Mushtaq Ahmed)
Daud Khan – Masud the Fixer
Telal Saeed – Kaleem Yusuf
Arif Khan – Mariane’s Taxi Driver
Tipu Taheer – Human Rights Director
Amit Dhawan – Technical Supervisor
Music: Harry Escott, Molly Nyman
Tagline: It was an event that shocked the world. This is the story you haven't heard.
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"A Mighty Heart," an emotional docudrama about the kidnapping andbeheading of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in February 2002is really enjoyable, a well done roller coaster about his wife'ssuffering; Mariane is greatly played by Angelina Jolie–touted that inmy opinion would have deserved an Oscar best actress. This film avoidscommonplace and trivial editorializing about Muslim extremism and tellsthe story in a manner reminding somehow a kind of diary. With suchsubject matter it was easy to be corny but the director managed to beoriginal, also making the good choice to cast non-marquee actors in allthe leading roles (except for Angelina Jolie of course). On the wholeit's a very deep story excellently played.
Actually I wanted to see this movie but I missed it ( it didn't runthat long here in Germany), so I had to wait six months and yesterday Irented this movie in the library. I was very excited about this moviebecause I saw the trailer and I read some good reviews. And the reviewsare all right!
This movie is excellent.
Angelina's performance is awesome. She had to play such a strong womanand she did it very very well! I know that there are so many haters ofthis movie but I don't understand them, I don't see why they're hatingthis brilliant movie with political background. The plot is veryinteresting, not just because it is a true story, no also because itshows the danger of today's world. It is about a journalist who iskidnapped in Pakistan and about his wife who tries everything to savehis life… I really liked Angelina's french accent, it was really good( okay I heard the German voice but it was very good).
I think that everybody who likes true stories, Angelina Jolie and avery interesting, emotional movie with political background should rentthis movie to see an unbelievable movie with excellent actors/actresses( I also wanna mention Archie Panjabi, I hadn't heard of her before butknow I know her and that's good because I think she will be huge aftersuch a great performance!)
Best Movie of Angelina Jolie so far…..only her performance in 'Girl,Interrupted! can be called that good!
It is absolutely worth-seeing!!!!
I don't necessarily agree with reviewers, like the NY Times guy whoreviewed THE CHANGELING, who say that Angelina Jolie is best atplaying…Angelina Jolie. She has one of the most unique, beautifulfaces in movies, but although you never forget that, she's also areally good actress.
But for a horrifying true story of heinous torture and a wife's heroismand all that, I found this film a little bloodless and matter-of-fact,like it was ticking off items and events on a checklist. The flashbacksto earlier, romantic times kind of left me cold. I thought the mostpowerful element, in terms of emotional impact, was the cute littlegirl puttering around the house, oblivious to and innocent of theearth-shattering things going on around her.
Many have trashed 'A Mighty Heart' deeming it a pointless film becausethe facts are already known and thus there was little suspense.However, I don't believe that that's what 'The Mighty Heart' is about.This isn't a from birth till death biopic. It particular looks at howthe kidnapping of Daniel Pearl affects his wife and the people whodesperately attempt to save him. It is more a character driven filmrather than plot-oriented.
'The Mighty Heart' also succeeds because it goes against stereotype andthe actors do a fascinating job of bringing them to screen. MarianePearl remains calm, focused and controlled throughout the entirechaotic ordeal. It is only upon hearing the news of her husband's fatethat she explodes otherwise she keeps her cool all through, even afterPearl's death, she is composed and hopeful rather than broken down.Captain is an officer with genuine intentions to save Pearl. He's apracticing Muslim and not a Western hater. He loves his job, ispassionate about it and his country and is revolted by what theterrorists have done. What makes the characters and their actions moreeffective is the fact that they were based on real people. Granted that'The Mighty Heart' is a fictionalized account rather than a documentarybut that does not take away the essence of how these people went aboutsuch a horrifying situation.
Winterbottom's directorial approach in presenting this account iscommendable. It would have been very easy to make this look like adocudrama or a melodramatic farce but instead he cleverly manages tokeep it well balanced and the emotions under control but still visibleto the viewer. The viewer views the film like a concerned outsider.And, even though we know the outcome, we are concerned andoverwhelmingly sympathetic for Mariane and her baby, for the teamputting their efforts day and night to save her husband and for Daniel.
The various camera-work (handheld, close-ups, jump cuts) is impeccable.The glimpses and sounds of the heated and crowded Pakistani streets addto the tension. The characters react to a ringing cellphone expectinghope only to be let down.
Angelina Jolie dons a new simpler look and gives a very spiritedperformance. Her calmness and patience displays her strength but hereyes reveal a hint of despair and vulnerability. Archie Punjabi does anequally superb job as Daniel's friend. She skillfully downplays Asra'sfrustration, guilt and concern. The building friendship between Asraand Mariane is well demonstrated by these two actresses. In a way, 'AMighty Heart' is about these two strong women who are brought closetogether by this ordeal. Irfan Khan delivers a wonderfully restrainedperformance and he shows his character's compassion, determination andfrustration with remarkable ease. The supporting cast, that includesWill Patton and Dan Futterman, does an overall good job.
'A Mighty Heart' is a sincere account of a true tragic event. It's astrong woman's story of hope. Even after having gone through such atraumatic experience, Marianne comes out of it with her head high. Sheremains strong and patient. She does not turn hostile towards thePakistani. In fact, she is aware that many unfortunate Pakistanis haveexperienced similar fate and expresses her compassion. She does not goon hating the world or the authorities. She is thankful andappreciative of all those who have fought with her. Remarkable.
We have heard about the 'Senseless Murder' of Daniel Pearl. We haveread about it and some of us have also seen the Beheaded Footage on theInternet. But A Mighty Heart goes a little beyond that. This film takesyou on an actual journey at those events that were untold or purposelyignored. The film is Majorly Shot on one location (Pakistan). And ittells you about what happened when Daniel Pearl wanted to interviewMoulana Sheikh Jilani.
The film has some Extra Ordinary performances by Angelina Jolie(Mariane Pearl), Irfan Khan (Captain) and of course Aly Khan (OmarSaeed Sheikh). The only Bad Point in the movie was Archie Panjabi (AsraQ Nomani). I really have no idea why the Film Maker wanted to cast anActress who could neither perform nor act. Please note her in thescenes where she spoke (Or Tried To) Urdu. The accent and her way wasso Pathetic that even a small child can make out that she is justreading the script! Archie Panjabi is one such actress that brings thiswhole film in a Bad Light. I though the character of Asra Nomani wasvery important diamond in this Jewel. But Archie with her worstperformance ruins this box of Jewellery.
Watch out for a very small but the most powerful performance of AlyKhan (Omar Saeed) in the movie. This Indian Actor brings life to thecharacter of Omar Saeed. I have see Omar and when i saw Aly Khanperforming this part, I said to myself that is this for real? IrfanKhan (Captain) again an Indian Actor has equal footage with Angelina inthe film and does his part very well. You will also remember DanFutterman (Daniel Pearl).
The film was shot on HD and the camera-work was really good. The scriptand the narration was tight. Those who have read the book my find someimportant chapters not shown in the film. But i guess that would havebeen very controversial. Those who also think that Daniel Pearl'sbeheaded footage is shown in this movie! I am sorry guys! Please dropyour hopes. This film really didn't needed it.
I will also request very strongly to also look out for a DocumentaryTitle much similar to A Mighty Heart which is called The Journalist AndThe Jihadi!
Daniel Pearl was, of course, the foreign correspondent for the "WallStreet Journal" who was kidnapped and brutally executed by a group ofMuslim jihadists whom he had sought out for an interview in early 2002.His wife, Marianne, also a journalist and pregnant with their child atthe time, later went on to publish a chronicle of that event,appropriately entitled "A Mighty Heart."
Adapted by John Orloff and starring Angelina Jolie and Dan Futterman inthe principal roles, the movie of the same name chronicles the effortsof Marianne and those around her to uncover her husband's whereaboutsand to try to rescue him before the terrorists have the chance to makegood on their threat to liquidate him, if their demands – for improvedconditions for the prisoners being held at Guantanamo Bay – are notmet. Directed by Michael Winterbottom, the movie does a solid jobrecreating the step-by-step process by which those working on the casewere able to identify, and even apprehend, some of the captors. But sointent is the movie on exploring every last detail of the search thatthe characters themselves tend to fall by the wayside at times. Thisincludes Marianne who, beautifully as Jolie embodies her, often windsup being shunted off to the side when she should be taking center stageand making us care deeply about her and the plight she is facing. Theformat of the story is such that we are given only brief glimpses ofMarianne and Daniel together and, in each case, they are invariablyshown as deliriously happy and passionately in love, which no doubtthey were, but it doesn't allow for much shading or depth in therelationship.
The movie is, of course, heartbreaking in its final scenes, as thestory works its way to its foreordained tragic conclusion and Marianneis left to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. Yet, theextraordinary courage that both Daniel and Marianne display in beingwilling to put their own lives at risk in confronting the injustices ofthe world leaves the audience with a feeling of hope for the future.
Thus, despite its weaknesses of characterization and drama, "A MightyHeart" still manages to move us in the end.