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Movies / Upcoming / 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.

Runtime: 1 hr 48 mins

Genre: Dramas

US Box Office: $9,093,521

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 comments; Australian critics are listed first)
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
10/19/07
Sydney Morning Herald
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

There's a compelling urgency about this riveting, highly political portrait of a brave and compassionate woman that allows us to feel as though we have partaken of her journey. Angelina Jolie is stunning.

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
10/13/07
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It plays as a pandering vanity project for Angelina Jolie.

Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star | comment 12 Comments
06/20/07
Phil Villarreal
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star

Bad Michael Winterbottom movies are not uncommon, but none have been as useless as A Mighty Heart.

Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment 8 Comments
06/07/07
Ed Gonzalez
Ed Gonzalez
Slant Magazine

"A Mighty Heart," like the other post-9/11 Hollywood movies ("United 93" and "World Trade Center"), is a would-be documentary subject inflated with promotion in its incarnation as a narrative feature.

Full Review Source: ColeSmithey.com | comment 7 Comments
06/04/07
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

A Mighty Heart is scrupulously journalistic, a would-be documentary that tells in rigorous detail but explains almost nothing. Who, what, when and where are covered, but not why.

Full Review Source: Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL) | comment 5 Comments
06/25/07
Jeffrey Westhoff
Jeffrey Westhoff
Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)

Angelina Jolie IS Mariane Pearl -- and that marquee-size "is" gets in the way, not of her performance, but of our ability to suspend disbelief and watch it.

Full Review Source: Slate | comment 2 Comments
06/22/07
Dana Stevens
Dana Stevens
Slate

There's hardly a moment when Jolie is on-screen that you can't sense the presence of make-up artists and hair stylists hovering anxiously just off frame.

Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment 2 Comments
06/20/07
J. Hoberman
J. Hoberman
Village Voice

Though it's difficult to watch, the film is nonetheless inspiring: a portrait of strength and character, through unimaginable difficulty, responding not with hatred but with hope.

Full Review Source: Seattle Times | comment 2 Comments
06/22/07
Moira MacDonald
Moira MacDonald
Seattle Times

Nothing in A Mighty Heart conveys the magnanimity of its title.

Full Review Source: New York Press | comment 1 Comment
07/11/07
Armond White
Armond White
New York Press

Just two years ago Jolie swapped flying bullets and heated saliva with Brad Pitt in the crowd-pleasing Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

Full Review Source: San Antonio Express-News | comment 1 Comment
06/22/07
Larry Ratliff
Larry Ratliff
San Antonio Express-News

Why not cast a Thandie Newton, a Kerry Washington, even a Halle Berry in the lead, unless one actress happens to be sleeping with the producer?

Full Review Source: FilmStew.com | comment 1 Comment
06/22/07
Lisa Johnson
Lisa Johnson
FilmStew.com

he movie is engrossing and well-acted throughout ... but ultimately leaves us less optimistic about the prospects for peace.

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment 1 Comment
06/24/07
Pete Vonder Haar
Pete Vonder Haar
Film Threat
N/R

Click to read the article

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

A movie that captures the frustration of not knowing, the unconsummated urge to comprehend.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
06/22/07
Amy Biancolli
Amy Biancolli
Houston Chronicle

A straightforward, highly competent thriller. As you'd expect from English director Michael Winterbottom, the picture possesses levels of moral complication that are at first invisible; it feels like an extra-long episode of 24.

Full Review Source: Salon.com | comment Comment
05/23/07
Andrew O'Hehir
Andrew O'Hehir
Salon.com

Winterbottom has chosen to emphasize naturalism and realistic detail, with a minimum of sentimental content.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles CityBeat | comment Comment
07/15/07
Andy Klein
Andy Klein
Los Angeles CityBeat

"A Mighty Heart" is as worthy a tribute to Danny and Mariane Pearl's life a dramatic feature can be.

Full Review Source: Sympatico.ca | comment Comment
06/22/07
Angela Baldassarre
Angela Baldassarre
Sympatico.ca

A taut, meticulously crafted police procedural. Part thriller, part melodrama, A Mighty Heart recalls last year's United 93 in its technical prowess and artistry, and in its harrowing emotional arc.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
06/21/07
Ann Hornaday
Ann Hornaday
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The movie, directed by Michael Winterbottom, lies about as far from the trials of Lara Croft as is cinematically possible.

Full Review Source: New Yorker | comment Comment
06/19/07
Anthony Lane
Anthony Lane
New Yorker
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by comments; Australian critics are listed first)
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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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