Based on the memoir of the same name by Mariane Pearl, A Mighty Heart is the tragic story of American journalist Daniel Pearl. A reporter for The Wall Street Journal, Pearl was abducted by Pakastani militants while investigating the possible connection between Al-Qaeda and Pakistani Intelligence. Pearl was held captive for nine days while his captors made a series of demands on the United States to secure his release. Despite tremendous efforts by the U.S. Justice Department and the Diplomatic Security Service to bring him to safety, Pearl was killed on February 1, 2002.
The film, directed by Michael Winterbottom (Welcome to Sarajevo), recounts Mariane’s (Angelina Jolie) experiences during those nine days, while she awaited Daniel’s (Dan Futterman) fate. When her husband turns up missing in Pakistan, Mariane finds herself at the center of an international investigation. Though pregnant with the couple’s first child, her home becomes the headquarters for every government official, journalist etc, trying to bring Daniel home. Soon, the living room is covered in photographs, notes and diagrams. Struggling with the hope of her husband’s return in the face of mounting evidence to the contrary, Mariane does whatever she can to help.
Throughout his career, director Michael Winterbottom has become known for his naturalistic style puts that to good use here. Although screenwriter John Orloff (Band of Brothers), wrote what would be considered a standard, paint-by-the-numbers script, Winterbottom has injected such realism into the story, it’s hard not to be moved. I felt a genuine sense of dread, when things when wrong and information was just out of reach. Angelina Jolie deserves praise for her turn as Mariane Pearl–she is so believable as a wife hoping against hope for the return of husband that after a short while, I forgot I was watching a mega-star; I was watching the quiet courage of Ms. Pearl. By the time A Mighty Heart concluded, I felt genuinely moved by the event and left trying to making sense of what seemed like a senseless tragedy.
A Mighty Heart is not always easy to follow. Winterbottom’s commitment to naturalism means there are countless facts interjected throughout the film. If you’re not the type who likes to learn a few things while watching a film, skip over this one. The investigators’ white boards are packed and the conversations are thick with minute details. Winterbottom forces the audience to feel as overwhelmed as Mariane must have felt.
If A Mighty Heart has a flaw, I would say it’s the amount of attention given to the investigators. There are a few times in the film where that attention forces the Pearl’s story to the background and when that occurs, the power of the narrative dips. While the investigators were an important tool in trying to find Daniel, the emotional pull of the film lies in trying to bring this couple back together.
In the end, A Mighty Heart is a gripping, fascinating and tragic drama that was largely overlooked during its theatrical run in 2007. Hopefully a larger audience will watch this film on Blu-ray and DVD; while the events aren’t always easy to stomach, the acting is superb, the storyline is tight and it provides a realistic view of people in crisis.
Paramount provides a 1080p/VC-1 encode for A Mighty Heart (2.35:1). Shot on HD digital cameras, this is certainly the best presentation of the material you’re likely to see.
The film has nice blacks, but contrast is intentionally skewed dark. Much actual newsreel footage is intercut throughout, so at least the stylized look of the fictional material maintains some consistency. Detail is average, and strong depth is only sporadically impressive. Weakest is shadow detail, which is lacking. The film’s color palette is a little subdued, but otherwise clean, and fleshtones are accurate. Though the source displays some noise, otherwise this is a clean encode.
A Mighty Heart on Blu-ray enjoys an English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround track. I was pleasantly surprised with this soundtrack, which has more impact than I expected.
Though essentially a dialogue-driven drama, A Mighty Heart does have some bursts of action. Surrounds come alive here, and transparency of pans and the overall force of the rear soundfield exceeded my expectations. Subtle ambiance is also nice, with even some of the quieter dialogue scenes enjoying a fine attention to detail. Dialogue still remains front and center, however, and it’s well placed in the front soundstage and I had no volume issues. Dynamic range is polished and spacious, with low bass that perfectly supports the material.
There are some special features included:
• Documentary: Journey of Passion (SD, 30 minutes) – A look at the behind-the-scenes efforts that brought this story to film. While it has the expected interviews with the cast and crew about the physical and emotional challenges of making A Mighty Heart, unfortunately the real people upon whom the story is based are not featured prominently.
• Featurette: Committee to Protect Journalists (SD, 9 minutes) – Next up is a look at the foundation established to protect the rights of journalists around the world.
• PSA (SD) – Finally, there’s a Public Service Announcement (2 minutes) featuring by CNN correspondent Christiane Amanpour for the Daniel Pearl Foundation, whose mission is “to promote cross-cultural understanding through journalism, music, and innovative communications.”
