A Mighty Heart (2007)

Director:

Michael Winterbottom

Writers (WGA):

John Orloff (screenplay)
Mariane Pearl (book)

Release Date:

22 June 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History | Thriller | War

Tagline:

It was an event that shocked the world. This is the story you haven't heard.

Plot:

Mariane Pearl embarks on a frantic search to locate her journalist husband, Daniel, when he goes missing in Pakistan.

Plot Keywords:

Journalist | Pakistan | Reporter | Search | Wall Street Journal

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 14 nominations

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
Saira Nasir Khan	...	Nasrin
Aliya Khan	...	Kashva
Sarah Mone	...	Female Guest
Bushra Parwani	...	Female Guest
Zafar Karachiwala	...	Male Guest

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English | French | Urdu | Arabic

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:R | Ireland:15A | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Portugal:M/12 | Netherlands:12 | Germany:12 | France:Unrated | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | Brazil:12 | South Korea:15 | Singapore:NC-16 | Australia:M | Norway:15 (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Company:

Paramount Vantage

Trivia:

Initially, the film was financed by Warner Brothers. After it backed out, Paramount Vantage stepped in.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: There are a number of computers and gadgets shown, which were not introduced in early 2002, i.e. HP LaseJet 1320 Printer at Asra's place, HP Color Laserjet shown at the consulate, Acer Notebook used in investigation, and the Nokia 1100 cellphone used by Captain.

Quotes:

Mariane Pearl: And kidnappers - their point is to terrorize people. But *I* am not terrorized, and *you* can't be terrorized.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Banged Up Abroad: India: Hostage to Terror (#2.7)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Dreaming on a Train

Angelina's Performance Is Terrific, But She Rarely Appears!

Despite the controversy amongst IMDb users concerning Academy Award Winner Angelina Jolie's ability to play a French woman of Afro-Cuban and Dutch ancestry, the truth is that she does a tremendous job despite her minimal screen time. In some of the stills from the film, her skin almost does appear darkened (despite all reports that it was not), but in the actual film, she is as light as ever. There is no visible difference in her skin's color or complexion and her casting should not be the reason for which this film gets recognized. Instead, it should be recognized for the terrific performances all around and Michael Winterbottom's genius direction. Also, I'm a sucker for queasy camera work. The film itself is merely decent as it becomes a bit boring during all the commotion of searching for Danny Pearl, but the performances truly are something to see. Dan Futterman's performance is as amazing as Jolie's, but he probably has about less than ten lines of dialogue throughout the film, despite the fact that the film and all the other characters revolve completely around him (he's even first billed in the end credits). Futterman's performance shows skill and his chemistry with Angelina Jolie is beautiful, but it is Jolie and Irrfan Khan who will hopefully get lucky come January's Academy Award nominations (or even February's wins). All the hustle and bustle leads up to the tour-de-force performance of Jolie as Pearl in the sparse climax scene. Her reaction brought me to tears (a rarity in the films I watch, and I watch films constantly). It is finally time that audiences will remember how talented she really is, despite being overshadowed by her publicity and her performances in films like "Alexander." I hope her performance here brings her a second Oscar nomination and (pardon my bias) a second win. The only demerits in the film are the boredom brought on by the search when, in my own humble opinion, scenes of Danny's friends and family (past and present) would have made the ending more heart-wrenching, the only word to truly describe the real-life tragedy. Overall, a well-made film that anyone should check out.