A Mighty Heart

Director: Michael Winterbottom
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Dan Futterman, Archie Panjabi, Irfan Khan, Denis O' Hare, Will Patton
Running Time: 108 min.
Rating: R

** (out of ****)

With all the media outlets we're exposed to today, the line between "celebrity" and "actor" can get kind of blurry. No one knows this better than Angelina Jolie, who attempts to shed her celebrity skin by disappearing into the role of Mariane Pearl, widow of slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, in A Mighty Heart. She succeeds and delivers an Oscar-worthy performance. Unfortunately it's trapped in a movie that takes a deadly serious issue and tip toes around it, refusing to take sides or ask any important questions. All it does is spin in circles hitting the same note again and again before reaching its inevitable conclusion.

While many may appreciate and respect the film for what it's trying to do, only masochists would find any enjoyment in watching it. It's dreary and depressing and the only reason to see it would to witness a rare onscreen depiction of a woman who stays strong and doesn't blink in the face of an unimaginable crisis. There's little doubt Mariane Pearl's ordeal was done justice with a respectful and inspirational portrayal. If only the same thing could be said for Daniel's.

In 2002, on the heels of the September 11th attacks, journalist Daniel Pearl (Dan Futterman) was researching and reporting a story on possible Al Qaeda links in Pakistan. He ended up being duped, kidnapped by terrorists and beheaded, the evidence of which was gruesomely documented on videotape. The story sparked controversy all over the world, shining the spotlight not only on America's war on terrorism in a post 9/11 world, but the role of our mass media. This film is based on Mariane's self-penned memoir and follows the Pakistani and American governments' attempts to find out who was behind this and retrieve Danny.

A U.S. security specialist (played by Will Patton) is brought in and at times there are clashes and conflicts of interest with the Pakistani authorities (led by Irfan Khan). Wall Street Journal editor Paul Bussey (Denis O'Hare) also flies in to follow leads as Mariane is comforted by her friend and fellow journalist Asra Nomani (Archie Panjabi) There's a lot of red tape and some red herrings but throughout this horrific ordeal Mariane bravely keeps it together, at least until she understandably loses it when the final, indisputable news comes.

You may have noticed I've mentioned very little about Daniel Pearl himself and for good reason. With the exception of a few flashbacks briefly touching on the hours leading up to the kidnapping, he's hardly in the film at all. Its focus is completely on Mariane and director Michael Winterbottom (Welcome To Sarajevo) shoots the entire film as if it were a documentary, very similar to the shaky cam style Paul Greengrass employed on United 93. That was the right approach directorially as it keeps everything as restrained and tasteful as possible.

Also, like United 93, we know how this story ends but this film fails to contain the slightest bit of that film's impending sense of dread or suspense. It's a fine, respectful adaptation of Mariane Pearl's memoir and Jolie's performance is authentic and worthy of high praise but that's where the compliments end. On every other level this film has to be seen as a failure that doesn't do the serious, controversial nature of the story justice.

It's a rare occasions that I'm actually angered watching a motion picture, but this is one of them. If you, like me, find it incomprehensible that this can happen to a newspaper columnist employed by one of our country's largest and most respected publications, you probably want some answers. Good luck. You won't be getting any from this film. There's a point in the movie when Mariane is grilling an alleged source and he questions whether what Danny was doing should even be the business of a journalist.

As quickly as that important question is brought up, it's ignored. I don't know about you but whenever I hear about a reporter risking (and in this case losing) their life I ask that same question myself along with many others. Is this really worth it? Shouldn't someone be held accountable? It's important we know what's going on in the world and the dangers we face daily, but is it fair to ask reporters to risk their lives so we can? I'm not trying to turn this into a political or philosophical debate, but the movie should have. Daniel Pearl's story cannot be told accurately without it, even if the goal was to tell hers. But it's impossible to tell Mariane's without approaching this situation from every angle, including Danny's. When the film ended I could tell you only two things about Daniel Pearl:

1) He seemed like a nice guy.
2) He wore glasses.

We're given nothing. How did he feel about the assignment he was given? What was his relationship like with his wife? What made him want to become a reporter? I wanted to know more about this brave man, so I could be personally invested in the story. If we don't know the slightest thing about him it's impossible to care what happens to him or his wife. Analyzing Dan Futterman's performance as Danny would be pointless considering he's probably onscreen for a total of no more than 10 minutes.

Forgive me for saying this but the movie could have actually benefited from showing the tortuous experience he went through, as difficult as it may have been to watch. By not showing anything, the movie comes off timidly, as if they're sweeping the whole ordeal under the rug. No one accused United 93 of being exploitive because they depicted the events in the gruesome, realistic way they unfolded and did so objectively.

Even Oliver Stone's World Trade Center, a film many believe took things too far dramatically, had the guts to show what happened. I understand the need for the filmmakers to stay faithful to Mariane Pearl's source material and her wishes for the project but she and Jolie are likely to be the only two satisfied with this account. For everyone else it's a police procedural. And a giant bore.

While Jolie's performance is brilliant technically it's comparable to the sound of one hand clapping or a tree falling in the forest. It isn't the slightest bit interesting or exciting to watch because it seems to exist in a vacuum. And it's definitely not a "risky role," at least in the way it's presented in this film. Usually I refrain from commenting on an actor or actress' personal life unless I feel it directly pertains to their film choices or work onscreen. It does here. Jolie may have never been one of our best actresses but there was a time when she was at least an interesting talent to watch. Now it seems her selection of on screen roles have become just as boring as her off screen persona.

Maybe she feels great going home to Brad Pitt (who produced this movie) and all her adopted children knowing she's "saving the world" by tackling important projects. Good for her, but I'd much rather see her make entertaining movies again. After this and her role in last year's The Good Sheperd, all she's really succeeded at is putting audiences to sleep. I never thought I'd long for the days when Jolie was wearing vials of Billy Bob Thornton's blood and making out with her brother but I'm all for it if it means she'll lighten up a little in her film choices.

Audiences stayed far away from this film and I can't say they missed much, if anything. A story this important deserves a film that doesn't cut corners, that names names and points fingers. Ironically, by trying so hard not to offend they made the most offensive film they could have by not discussing the issue or showing what happened. I don't know whether it was out of fear of possible litigation or they just chickened out, but when you commit to tackling an issue like this you dive in head first or not at all. A Mighty Heart is a well-made public service announcement that plays it safe. If you want the Daniel Pearl story, keep waiting.