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Movie Review for Mighty Heart, A
Movie Review for
Mighty Heart, A
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Mighty Heart, A | | |
| Also known as: | The Brave Life and Death of my Husband Danny Pearl, The Breve Life and Death of my Husband Danny Pearl |
132 Reviews total.
Release date: 6/22/2007
Run length: 108 mins.
Categories:
Drama
,
Adaptation
,
Biopic
,
War
Summary:
On January 23, 2002, Mariane Pearl's world changed forever. Her husband Daniel, South Asia bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal, was researching a story on shoe bomber Richard Reid. The story drew them to Karachi where a go-between had promised access to an elusive source. As Danny left for the meeting, he told Mariane he might be late for dinner. He never returned. In the face of death, Danny's spirit of defiance and his unflinching belief in the power of journalism led Mariane to write about his disappearance, the intense effort to find him and his eventual murder in her memoir "A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death of My Husband Danny Pearl." Six months pregnant when the ordeal began, she was carrying a son that Danny hoped to name Adam. She wrote the book to introduce Adam to the father he would never meet. Transcending religion, race and nationality, Mariane's courageous desire to rise above the bitterness and hatred that continues to plague this post 9/11 world, serves as the purest expression of the joy of life she and Danny shared.
Reviews of Mighty Heart, A
By
Jurgen Fauth
of About.com (7/0)
The movie's frantic bustle releases into an explosion of grief when Mariane finds out what we alr...
By
Brian Webster
of Apollo Guide (7/0)
This is a filmmaker who respects his audience enough to let us decide for ourselves, and Jolie li...
By
Phil Villarreal
of Arizona Daily Star (7/0)
It plays as a pandering vanity project for Angelina Jolie.
By
Philip Martin
of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (7/0)
...a movie that's more admirable than watchable, that in some ways argues against the politics of...
By
Christy Lemire
of Associated Press (8/0)
For a big chunk in the middle it feels like a standard crime drama -- though it's a strikingly cr...
By
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
of Atlanta Journal-Constitution (7/0)
The sheer force of the story, fueled by the commitment and passion of Winterbottom and his cast, ...
Reviews of Mighty Heart, A
By
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
of Atlanta Journal-Constitution (8/0)
An intelligent and compassionate movie, with a strong performance by Jolie.
By
Lori Hoffman
of Atlantic City Weekly (7/0)
[The]lack of focus on Pearl is what eventually makes me suspect that ... Angelina Jolie and Brad ...
By
Marrit Ingman
of Austin Chronicle (7/0)
The elliptical narrative also recalls Fernando Meirelles' somewhat similarly themed The Constant ...
By
Michael Sragow
of Baltimore Sun (7/0)
...if you're familiar with the story, the movie whizzes by without leaving you with fresh revelat...
By
Jordan Hiller
of Bangitout.com (8/0)
Any story being told where the conclusion is anticipated and inevitable retains an enormous, like...
By
Ty Burr
of Boston Globe (8/0)
...all its good intentions and visceral emotions come curiously to naught.
Reviews of Mighty Heart, A
By
Richard Mowe
of Boxoffice Magazine (7/0)
A film that has heart and integrity, providing insight into a wrenching dilemma that no headline ...
By
Sean O'Connell
of Charlotte Weekly (7/0)
A tough film grounded in modern foreign policy that puts a face on those who are collateral damag...
By
Roger Ebert
of Chicago Sun-Times (7/0)
What is best about A Mighty Heart is that it doesn't reduce the Daniel Pearl story to a plot, but...
By
Roger Ebert
of Chicago Sun-Times (8/0)
What is best about A Mighty Heart is that it doesn't reduce the Daniel Pearl story to a plot,...
By
Michael Phillips
of Chicago Tribune (8/0)
...a worthy film on a great, tragic subject.
By
Peter Rainer
of Christian Science Monitor (7/0)
On so many levels, A Mighty Heart is almost as excruciating to write about as it is to watch. It ...
Reviews of Mighty Heart, A
By
Peter T. Chattaway
of Christianity Today (8/0)
Winterbottom's films are often shot in a gritty, realistic fashion, and A Mighty Heart, much of w...
By
Jeff Otto
of cinemaobsession.com (7/0)
"A powerful, heavy film that doesn't pull any punches and doesn't deliver the prototypical happy ...
By
James Rocchi
of Cinematical (7/0)
A compelling, intellectually and emotionally engaging film.
By
Cole Smithey
of ColeSmithey.com (8/0)
"A Mighty Heart," like the other post-9/11 Hollywood movies ("United 93" and "World Trade Center"...
By
Jeffrey M. Anderson
of Combustible Celluloid (8/0)
Winterbottom takes it to the opposite extreme, turning into a docudrama and following that genre'...
By
Edward Douglas
of ComingSoon.net (7/0)
Angelina Jolie's powerful performance is the true heart and soul of what's often a rather clinica...
Reviews of Mighty Heart, A
By
Harry Chotiner
of culturevulture.net (7/0)
The most interesting thing about A Mighty Heart is why it became a mediocre film.
By
Chris Vognar
of Dallas Morning News (7/0)
He [Winterbottom] approaches his subjects as very, very real, not just fodder for topical films.
By
Kam Williams
of DallasBlack.com (7/0)
Jolie, dominating nearly every scene, is rather remarkable in this star vehicle, effectively conv...
By
N.V. Cooper
of E! Online (8/0)
...smacks of Hollywood self-gratification.
By
Emanuel Levy
of EmanuelLevy.Com (7/0)
As Mariane, wife of slain jounralist Daniel Pearl, Angelina Jolie renders admirably understated p...
By
Lisa Schwarzbaum
of Entertainment Weekly (8/0)
...respectful, committed...
Reviews of Mighty Heart, A
By
Eric D. Snider
of EricDSnider.com (8/0)
It works very well on its own terms as an examination of hope in our increasingly frightening wor...
By
Nathaniel Rogers
of Film Experience (8/0)
The best thing about it is the very thing that's most potentially maddening to moviegoers. Movies...
By
Walter Chaw
of Film Freak Central (7/0)
Blame the demands of a high-profile production on the sensibilities of someone who, success or fa...
By
Erica Abeel
of Film Journal International (7/0)
Those willing to stay with this often demanding film, though, will find an unusually balanced vie...
By
Pete Vonder Haar
of Film Threat (8/0)
he movie is engrossing and well-acted throughout ... but ultimately leaves us less optimistic abo...
By
Chris Barsanti
of filmcritic.com (8/0)
It's a sign of filmmaking prowess, and occasionally genius, when a director can hand viewers a sc...
Reviews of Mighty Heart, A
By
Kent Turner
of Film-Forward.com (7/0)
Hollywood's biggest star of the moment and weekly tabloid cover girl doesn't overwhelm the film a...
By
Edward Havens
of FilmJerk.com (7/0)
Every day, we are reminded how much of a great beauty Angelina Jolie is. But it's not every day w...
By
Victoria Alexander
of FilmsInReview.com (7/0)
Mariane Pearl is a Spartan wife with a steel base throughout the horrific ordeal skillfully direc...
By
Brent Simon
of FilmStew.com (8/0)
It reminded me, in a way, of the reaction of Grace Zabriskie’s character to the death of her daug...
By
Lisa Johnson
of FilmStew.com (8/0)
Why not cast a Thandie Newton, a Kerry Washington, even a Halle Berry in the lead, unless one act...
By
MaryAnn Johanson
of Flick Filosopher (7/0)
[L]ike a stinging slap in the face.... there's a kind of culture-shockiness to it...
Reviews of Mighty Heart, A
By
Peter Canavese
of Groucho Reviews (7/0)
A docudramatic TV movie at heart, and there's something unseemly about the film's inherently pred...
By
Ray Bennett
of Hollywood Reporter (7/0)
[An] expertly fashioned documentary-style drama.
By
Amy Biancolli
of Houston Chronicle (7/0)
A movie that captures the frustration of not knowing, the unconsummated urge to comprehend.
By
Steve Rhodes
of Internet Reviews (8/0)
Wildly inconsistent and sometimes infuriating director Winterbottom takes the Daniel Pearl story ...
By
Bruce Kirkland
of Jam! Movies (7/0)
A Mighty Heart never sensationalizes the story or its characters, most of whom are based on real ...
By
Bob Bloom
of Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) (8/0)
The foundation of A Mighty Heart, a devastatingly emotional movie, rests on the splendid performa...
Reviews of Mighty Heart, A
By
David Kaplan
of Kaplan vs. Kaplan (7/0)
'A Mighty Heart' should have had the electricity of an American citizen in dire trouble in a fore...
By
Jeanne Kaplan
of Kaplan vs. Kaplan (7/0)
It's a shocking story, fraught with strained emotions and fear.
By
Ella Taylor
of L.A. Weekly (8/0)
An enormously moving document of the tense days between Pearl’s capture and the news that he was ...
By
Robert Roten
of Laramie Movie Scope (8/0)
The movie does a good job of letting you know what it must feel like having a loved one held for ...
By
Nick Schager
of Lessons of Darkness (7/0)
Doesn't quite know what it wants to be, which means that it ultimately winds up being not very mu...
By
Andy Klein
of Los Angeles CityBeat (7/0)
Winterbottom has chosen to emphasize naturalism and realistic detail, with a minimum of sentiment...
Reviews of Mighty Heart, A
By
Bob Strauss
of Los Angeles Daily News (8/0)
Powerful dramatization told with admirable, realistic rigor.
By
Kenneth Turan
of Los Angeles Times (7/0)
Both moving and frighteningly real.
By
Mark Dujsik
of Mark Reviews Movies (7/0)
Too focused on events, timelines, and connections to find an emotional core to the story.
By
Pete Hammond
of Maxim (8/0)
A powerful,provocative and spellbinding film. This is a movie not to be missed and one that will ...
By
Matt Pais
of Metromix.com (7/0)
Both benefits and suffers from Jolie, who delivers a quality performance while her mega-star watt...
By
Rene Rodriguez
of Miami Herald (7/0)
The overriding tone of A Mighty Heart is neither indignant nor sentimental: The film is consisten...
Reviews of Mighty Heart, A
By
Duane Dudek
of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (8/0)
A humanist and universal account of events that diminished us all but did not occur in a vacuum.
By
Kurt Loder
of MTV (7/0)
Thanks in large part to Jolie's formidable restraint, this movie isn't the star-turn showcase it ...
By
David Edelstein
of New York Magazine (7/0)
A Mighty Heart is clipped, blunt, and grimly realistic.
By
Lou Lumenick
of New York Post (8/0)
Jolie delivers Oscar-worthy performance...
By
Armond White
of New York Press (7/0)
Nothing in A Mighty Heart conveys the magnanimity of its title.
By
Manohla Dargis
of New York Times (8/0)
...effectively fashioned, as jolting as it is polished, as well as a surprising, insistently poli...
Reviews of Mighty Heart, A
By
Jan Stuart
of Newsday (7/0)
Angelina Jolie's intelligently tucked-in performance as Mariane avoids grandstanding, receding in...
By
David Ansen
of Newsweek (7/0)
Winterbottom's aversion to sentimentality doesn't mean you won't be moved by A Mighty Heart.
By
Jeffrey Westhoff
of Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL) (8/0)
A Mighty Heart is scrupulously journalistic, a would-be documentary that tells in rigorous detail...
By
Brian Orndorf
of OhmyNews.com (7/0)
The story told here is one of lives shattered and hope restored, vividly encapsulating sacrifice ...
By
John A. Nesbit
of Old School Reviews (7/0)
doesn't offer a whole lot other than atmosphere and a stellar performance by Jolie
By
Frank Swietek
of One Guy's Opinion (7/0)
Given the pitfalls the director's achievement is considerable...makes its point without falling i...
Reviews of Mighty Heart, A
By
Scott Tobias
of Onion AV Club (8/0)
Jolie is such an expressive actress that there's always a danger she'll overplay the part, but on...
By
Roger Moore
of Orlando Sentinel (7/0)
Jolie lets us understand Mariane, and Winterbottom's film puts the viewer in her shoes.
By
John Thomason
of Orlando Weekly (8/0)
Riveting for every second, A Mighty Heart is the most commercial film that director Michael Winte...
By
Dennis Schwartz
of Ozus' World Movie Reviews (7/0)
Angelina Jolie puts her heart into the role of Danny Pearl's wife Mariane.
By
Jeanne Aufmuth
of Palo Alto Weekly (7/0)
A labyrinth of corruption and buzz words that resonate with anxiety and afford some narrative con...
By
Joe Baltake
of Passionate Moviegoer (7/0)
'A Mighty Heart': Where's Daniel?
Reviews of Mighty Heart, A
By
Carrie Rickey
of Philadelphia Inquirer (7/0)
To experience the grief of a death, one must know something of the life, no? That's the assumptio...
By
Sean Burns
of Philadelphia Weekly (8/0)
Jolie delivers a performance that's astonishing in its control.... she's dialed down her natural ...
By
Cynthia Fuchs
of PopMatters (8/0)
This mix of deeply subjective and starkly observational images, something of a signature for Wint...
By
James Kendrick
of Q Network Film Desk (7/0)
A Mighty Heart is not a bad film, but it was made at a bad time.
By
Linda Cook
of Quad City Times (Davenport, IA) (7/0)
Yes, Angelina Jolie is more than a tabloid headline. She also is a fine actress. She proves that ...
By
David Nusair
of Reel Film Reviews (7/0)
...an undeniably affecting look at an exceedingly familiar story.
Reviews of Mighty Heart, A
By
Timothy Knight
of Reel.com (8/0)
One of the year's most compelling films to date.
By
Michelle Orange
of Reeler (8/0)
The film is as much rough-and-ready thriller as it is tragic memoir.
By
Laura Clifford
of Reeling Reviews (7/0)
Whether intended or not, this casting [Jolie] simply smacks of self promotion and image branding....
By
Donald J. Levit
of ReelTalk Movie Reviews (7/0)
Angelina Jolie gives her strongest performance as defiant Mariane van Neyenhoff Pearl in 'A Might...
By
James Berardinelli
of ReelViews (8/0)
The film is fascinating and at times disturbing, but (director) Winterbottom's arms-length style ...
By
Diana Saenger
of ReviewExpress.com (7/0)
A forthright and compelling film but Angelina Jolie has become so notable, I could never forget s...
Reviews of Mighty Heart, A
By
Peter Travers
of Rolling Stone (8/0)
The film¿s strict avoidance of exploitation and sensationalism only adds to the film¿s emotiona...
By
Jim Lane
of Sacramento News & Review (7/0)
...a riveting, sometimes confusing film...
By
Sean Means
of Salt Lake Tribune (7/0)
Turns one of the more horrific chapters of post-9/11 history into a tight, if a bit dry, police-p...
By
Larry Ratliff
of San Antonio Express-News (7/0)
Just two years ago Jolie swapped flying bullets and heated saliva with Brad Pitt in the crowd-ple...
By
Jean Lowerison
of San Diego Metropolitan (7/0)
For those who know the story, all the rushing about soon seems redundant and unnecessary, but per...
By
David Elliott
of San Diego Union-Tribune (7/0)
Moments of tension quicken almost unbearably, and no one is immune (the crowds are like nerves mu...
Reviews of Mighty Heart, A
By
Ruthe Stein
of San Francisco Chronicle (7/0)
Much of A Mighty Heart plays like a documentary. It feels truthful instead of puffed up to be mor...
By
Ruthe Stein
of San Francisco Chronicle (8/0)
...heart-wrenching film...
By
Sean McBride
of Sean the Movie Guy (7/0)
a superb reminder of Jolie’s talents, and probably our first bonafide Oscar contender of the year...
By
William Arnold
of Seattle Post-Intelligencer (8/0)
Angelina Jolie's restrained performance gives film a core of dignity.
By
Moira MacDonald
of Seattle Times (8/0)
Though it's difficult to watch, the film is nonetheless inspiring: a portrait of strength and cha...
By
Rich Cline
of Shadows on the Wall (7/0)
Even though the story and its outcome are familiar, Winterbottom directs with such urgency that w...
Reviews of Mighty Heart, A
By
Ed Gonzalez
of Slant Magazine (7/0)
Bad Michael Winterbottom movies are not uncommon, but none have been as useless as A Mighty Heart...
By
Dana Stevens
of Slate (7/0)
Angelina Jolie IS Mariane Pearl -- and that marquee-size "is" gets in the way, not of her perform...
By
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
of Spirituality and Practice (7/0)
Typical of director Michael Winterbottom's integrity, a fast-paced and compassionate look at all ...
By
Thomas Peyser
of Style Weekly (Richmond, VA) (7/0)
The signal achievement of A Mighty Heart, somewhat at odds with its affirmative title, is the sen...
By
Angela Baldassarre
of Sympatico.ca (8/0)
"A Mighty Heart" is as worthy a tribute to Danny and Mariane Pearl's life a dramatic feature can ...
By
Dustin Putman
of TheMovieBoy.com (8/0)
The film spins its wheels as Winterbottom loses sight of the human element in exchange for a stab...
Reviews of Mighty Heart, A
By
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
of TheMovieChicks.com (7/0)
A mighty performance in an average movie.
By
Richard Schickel
of TIME Magazine (7/0)
This movie does not fully separate itself from our admittedly low -- even slightly shameful -- ex...
By
Melissa Anderson
of Time Out (7/0)
Taking his cue from Mariane’s memoir, Winterbottom (no stranger to the “War on Terror”—see last y...
By
James Christopher
of Times [UK] (7/0)
The director’s rapid-fire and choppy editing gives you a genuine feel for the many different side...
By
Ken Fox
of TV Guide's Movie Guide (7/0)
Director Michael Winterbottom and a fine cast headed by Angelina Jolie crafted an intricate polic...
By
Claudia Puig
of USA Today (8/0)
...emotionally and viscerally compelling...
Reviews of Mighty Heart, A
By
Justin Chang
of Variety (7/0)
The sad saga of slain Wall Street Journal reporter Danny Pearl has made it to the bigscreen with ...
By
Willie Waffle
of WaffleMovies.com (8/0)
It's not easy to make a dramatic, tense movie when many in the audience already know the ending, ...
By
Jeffrey Chen
of Window to the Movies (7/0)
We aren't given a journey of character, no developmental turning points; we are simply given a po...
By
Daniel M. Kimmel
of Worcester Telegram & Gazette (7/0)
...a moving statement about facing the worst humanity can offer and refusing to give up.
By
Susan Granger
of www.susangranger.com (7/0)
Timely and morally complicated, it captures the desperation and intensity of the tragic five-week...
By
John Beifuss
of Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) (3/5) Login Required (Login Required)
The steely-eyed seriousness of the enterprise -- the refusal to coddle moviegoers with warm chara...
Reviews of Mighty Heart, A
By
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
of St. Paul Pioneer Press (4/5) Login Required (Login Required)
Detailed and quietly moving.
By
Devin Faraci
of CHUD (7/1) No reference
Our news media is letting us down and killing us with frivolity; thank God Michael Winterbottom i...
By
Jeff Vice
of Deseret News, Salt Lake City (6/2) No reference
As impressive as Jolie's transformation is, the film's real star is director Michael Winterbottom...
By
Donald Munro
of Fresno Bee (7/1) No reference
A riveting experience that sears its way into your consciousness.
By
James Sanford
of Kalamazoo Gazette (7/1) No reference
Winterbottom wants to create a you-are-there, semi-documentary-style environment, which doesn't l...
By
Robert W. Butler
of Kansas City Star (6/1) No reference
A Mighty Heart has no discernable political agenda. It’s simply a straightforward look at a terri...
Reviews of Mighty Heart, A
By
Colin Covert
of Minneapolis Star Tribune (5/2) No reference
British director Michael Winterbottom tells the story with an intelligence and restraint worthy o...
By
Manohla Dargis
of New York Times (6/1) No reference
Effectively fashioned, as jolting as it is polished, as well as a surprising, insistently politic...
By
Stephen Whitty
of Newark Star-Ledger (6/1) No reference
[Winterbottom] puts us in the middle of things, and lets us watch.
By
Shawn Levy
of Oregonian (7/1) No reference
A richly atmospheric film that races surefootedly through complexities of data and emotion like a...
By
Jon Popick
of Planet Sick-Boy (3/5) No reference
A story that, in the hands of a lesser talent, would have been a CBS Movie of the Week
By
Harvey S. Karten
of Compuserve (7/1) Not Reachable
Winterbottom avoids a documentary format but the movie is so lacking in suspense that it becomes ...
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