It's not easy to make a dramatic, tense movie when many in the audience already know the ending, but director Michael Winterbottom has created one of the most compelling and emotional movies you will see
A Mighty Heart (2007)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
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
Reviews for A Mighty Heart
Angelina Jolie gives her strongest performance as defiant Mariane van Neyenhoff Pearl in 'A Mighty Heart.'
a panicked maelstrom of chases and false leads that all lead to the same murderous finale
Effectively fashioned, as jolting as it is polished, as well as a surprising, insistently political work of commercial art.
As a documentarylike account of one woman's ordeal in the midst of an international media frenzy, the film is visceral, alive and very scary.
A humanist and universal account of events that diminished us all but did not occur in a vacuum.
The immediacy of the setting, heightened by documentary techniques, makes this a chastening film, a portrait of the explosive new world in which we live.
On so many levels, A Mighty Heart is almost as excruciating to write about as it is to watch. It has many of the virtues of a first-rate political thriller, and yet who can think of it in those terms?
The story told here is one of lives shattered and hope restored, vividly encapsulating sacrifice and loss in a world gone mad.
It works very well on its own terms as an examination of hope in our increasingly frightening world.
Jolie is such an expressive actress that there's always a danger she'll overplay the part, but one major misstep aside, she slips into Winterbottom's wide-ranging procedural and asserts herself only when dramatically necessary.
To experience the grief of a death, one must know something of the life, no? That's the assumption of a movie like Silkwood. It is not assumed in A Mighty Heart, which tells us precious little about Mariane and Danny
Angelina Jolie's intelligently tucked-in performance as Mariane avoids grandstanding, receding instead into the intricate tapestry of Michael Winterbottom's tense and authentically relayed film.
As impressive as Jolie's transformation is, the film's real star is director Michael Winterbottom, who never lets the high-profile actress overwhelm his film, which is more of a character piece than a kidnapping drama.
British director Michael Winterbottom tells the story with an intelligence and restraint worthy of the subject.
This docudrama manages to be gripping even though the outcome is no mystery.
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.
Latest News for A Mighty Heart
January 29, 2009:
Screenwriter Set for Ian Fleming Biopic ![]()
"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 ![]()
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...
More Movies
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- A Mighty Heart at Rotten Tomatoes
- A Mighty Heart at IGN
Fresh Links
Featured

Tim Burton's costume designer talks to Movieline about her long collaboration with the filmmaker and Johnny Depp.

The director talks about puppetry perfection and his film, Fantastic Mr. Fox

We've got 20 copies of the hit TV series' Pilot Episode to giveaway.

Get all the latest movie updates, reviews, interviews and features here.
Competitions

Enough Prequel, Original Trilogy and Family Guy DVDs to fill a space cruiser

Everything from Dr. No to Quantum of Solace could be yours.

We're giving away the 10th Anniversary Blu-ray, plus Braveheart and the Rocky collection



Top Critic

