Product description

A Mighty Heart [2007]

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Binding : DVD
EAN : 5014437942432
Label : Paramount Home Entertainment
Manufacturer : Paramount Home Entertainment
Publisher : Paramount Home Entertainment
Release date : 2008-01-28
Title : A Mighty Heart [2007]
Actor : Array
Audience rating : Suitable for 15 years and over
Format : PAL
Languages : Array
Number of items : 1
Original release date : 2007-01-01
Region code : 2
Running time : 104
Studio : Paramount Home Entertainment
Theatrical releaseDate : 2007

Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
A Mighty Heart comes at the murder of journalist Daniel Pearl with a de-glamorised intensity: it's not a melodrama about Pearl's kidnapping and killing at the hands of Islamic terrorists, but a near-documentary about the process of trying to find him. Thus the centre of the film is not Pearl (Dan Futterman) but his wife Mariane (Angelina Jolie), a cool customer who manages--almost--to maintain her calm throughout the weeks-long ordeal. Director Michael Winterbottom is less overtly political here than in his Road to Guantanamo, although the reactions of various authorities, from U.S. officials to local Pakistani cops, give the flavour of different attitudes and approaches. Jolie, playing the Dutch-Afro-Cuban Mariane Pearl, does nicely at playing her character's control (others marvel at her sangfroid), yet she remains recognisably human throughout. By no means a star turn, the movie leaves Mariane for long stretches, and other actors shine: Irfan Khan as a detective, Denis O'Hare as Daniel Pearl's Washington Post editor, and Will Patton as a stymied diplomat. As engrossing as the movie generally is, the point of emphasising the police-procedural method is sometimes obscure. Oddly enough, by rejecting the usual string-pulling of conventional Hollywood drama, A Mighty Heart ends up without a strong point of view--as good as its pieces are. --Robert Horton

Customer reviews

review by: date: 2008-07-19 rating:

Deadly insight
A truly perceptive insight into the suffering generated by such atrocious acts. Very well worth watching and a classic in many ways becuse of the accuracy of its depiction and the credibility of teh cahracters and screenpaly.

review by: Garry Williams date: 2008-04-02 rating:

A mighty important film, showing humanity at its best and at its worst

Jolie is wonderful, ..... Marianne Pearl (Angeline Jolie), a journalist, is in Pakistan with her fellow reporter husband, Daniel (Dan Futterman). They are planning to leave the country soon but have stayed a bit longer so that Daniel can interview an important, militant cleric. It is 2002, only months after the 9/11 attacks. Alas, Daniel, a Jewish man, vanishes into thin air. Marianne, who is expecting the couple's first child, is alarmed. As well she should be. Word comes soon enough that Daniel has been kidnapped by terrorists and that the situation is extremely precarious. Yet, Marianne is not without hope, knowing that miracles have happened. With the aid of the Pakistani police force, the FBI, and fellow reporters from the NY Times, everyone makes a frantic search to find Daniel in time. Will they? This is a mighty film indeed, but, not an easy one to digest. When the good-hearted of the world come face to face with evil, it is never a pretty picture, it seems. Jolie is simply outstanding as the journalist and wife who is caught in the web of a terrorist plot. It is a miracle that her character, Marianne, did not lose her baby. The other cast members, including Will Patton as a loathsome government worker and a group of largely unknown native actors, are great, too. The Karachi setting is both beautiful and tragic, as the poverty stricken neighborhoods are shown with glaring honesty. Costumes and production values are very fine. Most important of all is the message of the film, one which takes a page from Anne Frank's Diary. There are good people in the world, loving people, and sometimes they are taken away by evil forces. Yet, they remain as shining examples of hope in a world where hope is desperately needed and, consequently, evil never really triumphs in the bigger picture. Anyone who wants to become a better person, including, hopefully, members of the governments of this world, would benefit greatly from a showing of this mighty movie, indeed.

review by: pris, date: 2008-03-30 rating:

A Tragedy That Illuminates Grief and Hatred
'The film's strict avoidance of exploitation and sensationalism only adds to the film's emotional impact. In just a few scenes, Futterman - the acclaimed screenwriter of Capote - digs deeply into Daniel as a journalist and a man. But the film belongs to Jolie. This is by far her best performance, strong and true in every detail from Mariane's accent (her roots are Dutch and Afro-Cuban) to the strength she shows under fire. Her total immersion in the role keeps the film from getting lost in the rush of details." Peter Travers

Mariane Pearl wrote a book about her experiences while her husband Daniel Pearl was held captive by Jihadists. The book 'The Brave Life and Death of my husband, Danny Pearl' is but a piece of this film. The film is badly named to begin with, doesn't have the catch for an audience. However, the acting and history of Pakistan and the Jihads far out way any negativity.

Angelina Jolie has marked this role as her own and she has perfected it. As has been mentioned numerous times her accent and look became Mariane. But at the same time Angelina Jolie was too much for the movie. It should have been a hit. The other numerous cast were absolutely right for their roles- no gratuitous violence overshadowed the film. We all knew how it was going to end, and the telling of Danny;s murder was held with aplomb. Mariane falls apart and goes to her room to keel. However, this was too much, were we all thinking 'is this overdone', is this just right, has this gone on too long'?

The history of Pakistan and the part it played in the jihad and in Al qaeda is the mainframe of the story. What was it that attracted the Jihad to Danny Pearl, and why did they plan his kidnapping and resultant death? The filming was a highlight-the city of Karachi at its best and worst in the light of day and night is a story in itself.

The birth of Adam, Mariane and Danny's son and their life in France is the conclusion of this tragedy. A life that was undone and for what purpose?

What is best about "A Mighty Heart" is that it doesn't reduce the Daniel Pearl story to a plot, but elevates it to a tragedy. A tragedy that illuminates and grieves for the hatred that runs loose in our world, hatred as a mad dog that attacks everyone. Attacks them for what seems, to the dog, the best of reasons." Roger Ebert

Recommended. prisrob 03-25-08

Girl, Interrupted

review by: Gavin Bullock date: 2008-03-12 rating:

Almost total lack of dramatic tension
The abduction and gruesome murder of Daniel Pearl by Islamic terrorists in Karachi was a tragic event in a sea of tragic events over the world. This film is a straight dramatisation of this story, seen from the point of view of Pearl's French wife, played by Angelina Jolie. The film is excellent in projecting local atmosphere and the authentic feeling is added to by a clutch of fine Pakistani actors playing the local characters. Angelina Jolie displays a very convincing French accent. She plays the part of a spouse who is unnaturally calm, even hard, in response to her husband's fate but on hearing of his death, she breaks down with a loud and chilling wailing which is quite unnerving.

Most of the action covers the efforts of the local CID to trace the terrorists (they have received the obligatory video) by clever cross referencing of telephone contacts but ultimately it is all too late. The workings of the security people is portrayed in a low key way - busy people going about their business, working on the problems in a methodical way.

The problem with this film is the material. It is not suitable for a feature film of this length. We know the ending and because the action is probably very close to what happened, there is no inherent dramatic tension. Real life, even in these circumstances, is not very interesting. They could have done a 'based on' screenplay but this would have sensationalised things and would have been upsetting for his family. Making the film so soon after the event must have constrained the makers considerably. In my view, the best way to deal with this story is by a straightforward documentary. In such a film, the background to the execution could be explored in much more detail - Islamic terrorism, the political situation in Pakistan, interviews with the people involved. Docudrama is a very tricky format and often handled badly. It stems from the film and TV industry's belief that the viewer must be spoon-fed facts wrapped up to resemble our favourite police procedural to keep our attention.

This film is done well technically but what is it supposed to be? A drama for our enjoyment or an instructive tract for our illumination. I am afraid it largely fails from which ever angle you look at it.

review by: fran151278 date: 2008-02-10 rating:

Powerfull
The story of Diane Pearl, a journalist, whose husband Daniel Pearl also a journalist, whilst doing some research in Pakistan he was kidnapped and brutally executed, was not new to me but the way this film told the story was.

Michael Winterbottom directs events in a quasi-documentary style which makes it all the more real. Within minutes of the film opening you forget all the celebrity Angelina Jolie generates and just concentrate on her terrifically real performance as the widow in such extraordinary circumstances.

The film flicks from Diane to the investigators and to Danny in the events preceding his death. When Danny dies it is handled in such an emotional and sensitive way. Its hard to remember another true to life story that generates the same amount of exhaustive emotional effort on the viewers part.

Brilliant performances and a harrowingly real this film should not be missed by any film fans all over.

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