Might and right
A
Mighty Heart is a true story based on the memoire of Mariane
Pearl. In 2002 Mariane (Angelina Jolie) and husband Daniel (Dan
Futterman) have recently arrived in Karachi from Afghanistan.
Mariane is six months pregnant, they are living in the home of
a close friend and assistant Asra (Archie Panjabi). Daniel, a
Wall Street Journal reporter, is investigating the case of shoe
bomber Richard Reid. Pearl is Jewish and is lured into a interview
with a fictitious Sheikh by Islamic jihadists and subsequently
kidnapped.
There is a dire feeling as we briefly see Daniel
waving goodbye to Mariene from a taxi, and with the exception
of flashbacks to happier times in their marriage he virtually
disappears from the screen. The film now concentrates on the five
week search to find Danny, with ominous messages coming through
by email from his kidnappers. Asra's house is soon filled with
the Pakistani police, advisors and friends all attempting to locate
the kidnappers gradually uncovering facts about Daniel's capture
albeit painfully slowly. The audience are taken along on this
investigation, those remembering the actual incident will know
the harrowing outcome which adds to a sense of mounting tension
and frustration. It is very realistically presented so you're
totally involved.
A Pakistani police captain (Irfan Khan) desperately
tries to make sense of the various clues racing against the clock,
and while his interrogation of suspects is brutal he seems genuinely
concerned he has to take such measures. Effectively the infamous
videotape that concludes the search is not shown - only the reactions
of people viewing it, making it all the more dramatic. The touching
aspect of this exceptional film is that despite her anger at the
fate of her husband, Mariane shows remarkable strength and humanity
and an acceptance that terrorism is a worldwide source of misery
for people everywhere. Her book was dedicated to their son.
There's
a hidden star in this movie and that's the chaotic city of Karachi,
where the story takes place (and was actually filmed on location).
You can feel the presence of this confused and exotic sprawling
metropolis in every scene, it adds a realism and immediacy that
gives credence to the storyline. The other star of the film is
certainly Angelina Jolie (The Good Shepherd, Girl
Interrupted), of whom I'm not a great fan; but her reading
here of the character is impeccable. It must rank as her best
performance with considerable emotional range.
Dan Futterman playing Daniel appears only for a
short screen time, but he is totally convincing as the down to
earth journalist determined to follow up a story (Futterman also
wrote the screenplay for Capote). Both Irfan Khan (The
Namesake) and Archie Panjabi (The Constant Gardener)
provide strong support in demanding roles, and it's fair to say
the whole cast work marvelously together. The intelligent script
by John Orloff lends itself to believability.
A Mighty Heart is helmed by Michael Winterbottom,
the interesting British director of films like The Road to
Guantanamo and In This World, and he's able to create
a real sense of being there with the fine cinematography of his
DOP Marcel Zyskind and definitive cutting by editor Peter Chistelis.
This is a thought-provoking and inspiring - if anguished
- reflection on a family in crisis due to terrorism. This satisfying
production brings terrorism home in a way few films have achieved.
John Bale
