A Mighty Heart

Starring: Angelina Jolie, Dan Futterman, Archie Panjabi, Will Patton
Directed by: Michael Winterbottom
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
2007

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Journalist Daniel Pearl (Dan Futterman) is kidnapped by Islamic terrorists. His faithful wife (Angelina Jolie) struggles to keep her calm as the authorities try to find her missing husband before he is killed.

Review:

Tim:

This film does a very good job of showing a true-life look at what the families of kidnapping victims go through as they await word on their loved ones. The film has a documentary feel to it. It does a surprisingly good job of showcasing the drama and the tension that occurs during a kidnapping. The movie always keeps its focus on real-life drama. Nothing ever feels forced or played up for dramatic effect.

Angelina Jolie is quite good in the role of Mariane Pearl. She is quite dramatic and reserved. She has the opportunity for several powerful emotional scenes. The rest of the supporting cast all give very good performances as well. I enjoyed seeing Will Patton in his role.

While there is much to like about this movie, there are some downsides as well. There are just too many slow parts throughout the film. What starts out interesting soon becomes a bit tiresome. Much of the film feels repetitive and hard to follow. The audience is kept in the dark as to the exact going-ons as the police and other diplomats try to figure out who kidnapped Daniel Pearl. This is not done in a very good way, and even when we figure out what happened, it still doesn't make perfect sense. The film's conclusion is a bit anticlimactic. Also, while unique in its own right, the film feels a bit redundant in its story. Too many of these terrorist movies have been made n the last few years.

Despite some obvious flaws, the film is decent enough to deserve a viewing. Just prepared to be bored occasionally and besides a great performance from Jolie, a bit disappointed.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



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