Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10089 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-01-28
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 104 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
A Mighty Heart comes at the murder of journalist Daniel Pearl with a de-glamorised intensity: it's not a melodrama about Pearl's kidnapping and killing at the hands of Islamic terrorists, but a near-documentary about the process of trying to find him. Thus the centre of the film is not Pearl (Dan Futterman) but his wife Mariane (Angelina Jolie), a cool customer who manages--almost--to maintain her calm throughout the weeks-long ordeal. Director Michael Winterbottom is less overtly political here than in his Road to Guantanamo, although the reactions of various authorities, from U.S. officials to local Pakistani cops, give the flavour of different attitudes and approaches. Jolie, playing the Dutch-Afro-Cuban Mariane Pearl, does nicely at playing her character's control (others marvel at her sangfroid), yet she remains recognisably human throughout. By no means a star turn, the movie leaves Mariane for long stretches, and other actors shine: Irfan Khan as a detective, Denis O'Hare as Daniel Pearl's Washington Post editor, and Will Patton as a stymied diplomat. As engrossing as the movie generally is, the point of emphasising the police-procedural method is sometimes obscure. Oddly enough, by rejecting the usual string-pulling of conventional Hollywood drama, A Mighty Heart ends up without a strong point of view--as good as its pieces are. --Robert Horton

Special Features

Customer Reviews

Powerfull
The story of Mariane Pearl, a journalist, whose husband Daniel Pearl also a journalist, whilst doing some research in Pakistan he was kidnapped and brutally executed, was not new to me but the way this film told the story was.

Michael Winterbottom directs events in a quasi-documentary style which makes it all the more real. Within minutes of the film opening you forget all the celebrity Angelina Jolie generates and just concentrate on her terrifically real performance as the widow in such extraordinary circumstances.

The film flicks from Mariane to the investigators and to Danny in the events preceding his death. When Danny dies it is handled in such an emotional and sensitive way. Its hard to remember another true to life story that generates the same amount of exhaustive emotional effort on the viewers part.

Brilliant performances and a harrowingly real this film should not be missed by any film fans all over.

A Tragedy That Illuminates Grief and Hatred
'The film's strict avoidance of exploitation and sensationalism only adds to the film's emotional impact. In just a few scenes, Futterman - the acclaimed screenwriter of Capote - digs deeply into Daniel as a journalist and a man. But the film belongs to Jolie. This is by far her best performance, strong and true in every detail from Mariane's accent (her roots are Dutch and Afro-Cuban) to the strength she shows under fire. Her total immersion in the role keeps the film from getting lost in the rush of details." Peter Travers

Mariane Pearl wrote a book about her experiences while her husband Daniel Pearl was held captive by Jihadists. The book 'The Brave Life and Death of my husband, Danny Pearl' is but a piece of this film. The film is badly named to begin with, doesn't have the catch for an audience. However, the acting and history of Pakistan and the Jihads far out way any negativity.

Angelina Jolie has marked this role as her own and she has perfected it. As has been mentioned numerous times her accent and look became Mariane. But at the same time Angelina Jolie was too much for the movie. It should have been a hit. The other numerous cast were absolutely right for their roles- no gratuitous violence overshadowed the film. We all knew how it was going to end, and the telling of Danny;s murder was held with aplomb. Mariane falls apart and goes to her room to keel. However, this was too much, were we all thinking 'is this overdone', is this just right, has this gone on too long'?

The history of Pakistan and the part it played in the jihad and in Al qaeda is the mainframe of the story. What was it that attracted the Jihad to Danny Pearl, and why did they plan his kidnapping and resultant death? The filming was a highlight-the city of Karachi at its best and worst in the light of day and night is a story in itself.

The birth of Adam, Mariane and Danny's son and their life in France is the conclusion of this tragedy. A life that was undone and for what purpose?

What is best about "A Mighty Heart" is that it doesn't reduce the Daniel Pearl story to a plot, but elevates it to a tragedy. A tragedy that illuminates and grieves for the hatred that runs loose in our world, hatred as a mad dog that attacks everyone. Attacks them for what seems, to the dog, the best of reasons." Roger Ebert

Recommended. prisrob 03-25-08

Girl, Interrupted

Deadly insight
A truly perceptive insight into the suffering generated by such atrocious acts. Very well worth watching and a classic in many ways becuse of the accuracy of its depiction and the credibility of teh cahracters and screenpaly.