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Movies / On DVD / A Mighty Heart
A Mighty Heart

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A Mighty Heart (2007)

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Reviews Counted:181

Fresh:139

Rotten:42

Average Rating:7/10

Consensus: Angelina Jolie conveys the full emotional range of a woman in a desperate situation in A Mighty Heart, an urgent yet tactful film about a difficult subject.

Rated: 15 [See Full Rating] for language

Runtime: 1 hr 48 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:21-09-2007

Synopsis: Prolific director Michael Winterbottom (24-HOUR PARTY PEOPLE) takes an unusual turn by helming A MIGHTY HEART--a studio picture starring none other than Angelina Jolie. Jolie stars as Mariane... Prolific director Michael Winterbottom (24-HOUR PARTY PEOPLE) takes an unusual turn by helming A MIGHTY HEART--a studio picture starring none other than Angelina Jolie. Jolie stars as Mariane Pearl, the widow of WALL STREET JOURNAL reporter Daniel Pearl. Daniel was kidnapped and executed in Pakistan in 2002, and Winterbottom's film centers on the frantic activities leading up to his death. Fellow journalist Mariane revs into action as soon as the disappearance of her husband is announced, calling on the FBI and experts in terrorism to help in the desperate search. With the media circling around the story like hawks, Mariane endures a very public display of grief, and her plight is perfectly captured by the unlikely alliance of Winterbottom and Jolie. The film was shot mostly in Karachi and uses locations that Daniel was known to have visited, adding a heady dose of authenticity to the proceedings. Winterbottom uses shaky, hand-held cameras, which add to the feeling of chaos as multiple organizations descend on Pakistan in the quest to find Daniel; fortunately the director uses some much-needed on-screen captions to make sure viewers are up to speed on who everyone is. A MIGHTY HEART is tough, emotional viewing that will be challenging (yet rewarding) for many audiences, even those who are already familiar with this heartbreaking story. [More]

Starring: Angelina Jolie, Dan Futterman, Irrfan Khan, Archie Panjabi

Starring: Angelina Jolie, Dan Futterman, Irrfan Khan, Archie Panjabi, Will Patton, Denis O'Hare

Director: Michael Winterbottom

Director: Michael Winterbottom
Screenwriter: John Orloff
Producer: Brad Pitt, Andrew Eaton, Dede Gardner
Composer: Harry Escott, Molly Nyman
Studio: Paramount Vantage

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Reviews for A Mighty Heart

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1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 >> >|
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The film opts to depict a single but reverberant tragedy and does so with force, skill and a memorable central performance.

Full Review Source: Financial Times | comment Comment
09/21/07
Nigel Andrews
Nigel Andrews
Financial Times

For all its kinetic energy and sweep, Michael Winterbottom's hyperactive new film is really nothing more than a very, very classy TV movie.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
09/21/07
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A breathless and compelling cinematic experience.

Full Review Source: Little White Lies | comment Comment
09/21/07
Mike Brett
Mike Brett
Little White Lies

The director’s rapid-fire and choppy editing gives you a genuine feel for the many different sides of Karachi, and the urgency of the investigation.

Full Review Source: Times [UK] | comment Comment
05/24/07
James Christopher
James Christopher
Times [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Even though the story and its outcome are familiar, Winterbottom directs with such urgency that we are carried right into the film alongside the characters.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
07/26/07
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

Topical, worthy and well made, A Mighty Heart fumbles the ball due to a complete dearth of tension and a flat-as-a-pancake performance from Jolie.

Full Review Source: Daily Mirror [UK] | comment Comment
09/21/07
David Edwards
David Edwards
Daily Mirror [UK]

Aside from casting Jolie, the bravest decision was to shoot largely in Karachi. The risk pays dividends with highly evocative location work that allows you almost to the smell that crowded city and feel the chaos.

Full Review Source: This is London | comment Comment
09/21/07
Derek Malcolm
Derek Malcolm
This is London

If Winterbottom struggles to shoehorn his documentary style into the form of a thriller, Jolie has no problems in bringing Mariane to life with a vibrant and vital turn. This honourable film is worth seeing for her alone.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
09/21/07
James Mottram
James Mottram
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Finding humanity amidst inhumanity, A Mighty Heart is sobering proof that the most frightening horror stories come from the real world. Every day.

Full Review Source: Sky Movies | comment Comment
09/21/07
Elliott Noble
Elliott Noble
Sky Movies

Michael Winterbottom presents a documentary-style chronicle of events that is completely unsentimental and at the same time full of compassion.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
08/29/07
Stella Papamichael
Stella Papamichael
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A Pearl in the rough.

Full Review Source: Independent | comment Comment
09/21/07
Anthony Quinn
Anthony Quinn
Independent

Considering the fact that this is a story whose ghastly ending is known to the audience right from the outset, A Mighty Heart is far more compelling than ever seemed likely.

Full Review Source: Daily Telegraph | comment Comment
09/21/07
Sukhdev Sandhu
Sukhdev Sandhu
Daily Telegraph
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A fitting tribute to courage under fire and stoicism in the face of senseless brutality, Winterbottom conjures up a perfect marriage of subject and technique. Good also to see Jolie acting for a change...

Full Review Source: Total Film | comment Comment
09/21/07
Neil Smith
Neil Smith
Total Film

It will be a major injustice if Jolie doesn't receive an Oscar nod for channelling Mariane's heartbreak with such dignity and compassion.

Full Review Source: thelondonpaper | comment Comment
09/21/07
Neil Smith
Neil Smith
thelondonpaper

Impressively directed drama with an Oscar-worthy performance from Angelina Jolie, but the story isn't as tense or as moving as it should have been.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
09/20/07
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

A solid, uncomfortable account of a wife’s ordeal, with a strong turn from Jolie, but strangely lacking an emotional focus.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
09/21/07
Damon Wise
Damon Wise
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Screen International | comment Comment
05/23/07
Screen International

Those willing to stay with this often demanding film, though, will find an unusually balanced view that celebrates not only Mariane's courage, but the Pakistanis who fought valiantly on her behalf.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
06/06/07
Erica Abeel
Erica Abeel
Film Journal International

Mariane Pearl is a Spartan wife with a steel base throughout the horrific ordeal skillfully directed by Michael Winterbottom.

Full Review Source: FilmsInReview.com | comment Comment
06/14/07
Victoria Alexander
Victoria Alexander
FilmsInReview.com

Winterbottom takes it to the opposite extreme, turning into a docudrama and following that genre's pre-established format.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
06/22/07
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
 
 
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Latest News for A Mighty Heart

January 29, 2009: Screenwriter Set for Ian Fleming Biopic Opens in new window
"Fleming," the Ian Fleming biopic being produced by Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way, has itself a writer: John Orloff, who penned "A Mighty Heart." More...

September 30, 2008: Trailer & Poster review Opens in new window
More...

December 21, 2007: Awards Mania: Spirits, SAGs Get Waivers, Announce Nominations; Uncertainty Surrounds Golden Globes
Just when you think awards season can't get any awards-ier, here come two more sets of nominations! More...

December 14, 2007: Atonement, Control Lead London Film Critics Noms
The London Critics Circle has announced the nominees for its year-end awards, with Anton Corbijn's Control and Joe Wright's Atonement leading the pack at eight nominations apiece. More...

See All

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