[Marxism] A Mighty Heart

[Louis Proyect]

This is the time of year when I begin to get DVD’s from major Hollywood 
studios in anticipation of the New York Film Critics Online awards 
ceremony in December. While we are a lot scruffier than the Oscars, our 
picks do get a fair amount of press play since the Internet is becoming 
a more trusted source of movie reviews than print.

Last night I watched “A Mighty Heart,” a docudrama on the kidnapping and 
beheading of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in February 2002 
by jihadists in Karachi, Pakistan. The film focuses on the emotional 
roller coaster of his wife Mariane, who is played by Angela Jolie–touted 
as a possible Oscar best actress.

I enjoyed “A Mighty Heart” in the same way that I enjoyed “United 93,” 
another docudrama that grew out of the maelstrom following 9/11. Both 
films avoid strident editorializing about “Islamofascism” and are 
content to allow the events to unfold methodically in almost a diary 
format. Since both films are directed by Britons, perhaps this is no 
accident. With such compelling subject matter, there really is no need 
for embellishment. They also made the wise choice to cast non-marquee 
actors in all the leading roles, with the exception made of course for 
the highly bankable Angela Jolie. By contrast, Daniel Pearl is played by 
Dan Futterman, whose career has mostly involved minor television roles 
on “Sex and the City,” “Will and Grace,” etc.

Another important calculation in “A Mighty Heart” is to make this a 
movie much more about Mariane Pearl than her husband. The screenplay is 
based on Mariane Pearl’s book, of the same title, which is an account of 
her unsuccessful struggle to save her husband’s life and a relatively 
more successful struggle to make sense of the ordeal. Unfortunately, 
many of the deeper insights found in the book are not reflected in the 
screenplay, which obviously could have only been reflected in voice-over 
narration. Mariane Pearl’s dialog mostly consists of impatient 
imprecations hurled at the Pakistani cops alternated with leads that 
they should follow up. Not given much to work with, Jolie turns in a 
serviceable performance.

full: http://louisproyect.wordpress.com/2007/10/30/a-mighty-heart/