When I first heard Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were adapting the memoir by Daniel Pearl's widow, Mariane, I was pretty damn skeptical. Would it be more third-world navel-gazing, in the tradition of Pitt's "Babel" or Jolie's "Beyond Borders," and just another self-indulgent star vehicle? And -worst of all- would Pitt be playing Daniel Pearl himself?
I saw "A Mighty Heart" last week and I must say my fears were unfounded about all of the above. It's a serious film that treats its topic with the utmost respect, and on top of that its a harrowing and very suspenseful tale, even though we know how it turns out in the end. It works as history, as character study, and as procedural, and best of all, it's got no grand "political" statements to make.
Dan Futterman is uncanny as Daniel Pearl, and Jolie gives her best screen performance to date as his wife, and they're supported by a standout international cast. No, they don't show the footage of Pearl being beheaded, and that's a decision that's going to be controversial, but I think it's understandable.
See "A Mighty Heart" when it comes out Friday. Other than "The 25th Hour" it's the best movie yet about the post-9/11 moment.
Posted by Stephen Silver at June 18, 2007 05:09 PM