School’s Out for the Jolie-Pitts!

Jolie convincing in sometimes difficult “Mighty Heart”
By Bob Strauss, Film Critic
Article Launched: 06/21/2007 06:50:13 PM PDT

Respectable, information-packed and unavoidably emotional, “A Mighty Heart” does a better job with dramatic recent history than most films that make the attempt.
In fact, this terrible tale of the kidnapping and murder of the Wall Street Journal’s Daniel Pearl in Pakistan only seems to be missing the extra, almost unbearable intensity that last year’s “United 93″ bore.

That is, to a large extent, intrinsic to “Mighty Heart’s” source material. It’s based on the book by Pearl’s widow, Mariane, and by nature and design focuses more on her agonizing waiting game and authorities’ efforts to find Danny than on the victim’s harrowing captivity and execution.

That said, some (certainly not all) may feel a slight letdown at the end of “A Mighty Heart.” Despite director Michael Winterbottom’s scrupulous efforts to explain as many facets of the awful situation as possible, the sheer, attention-challenging demands of trying to follow the madness is bound to alienate some viewers along the way.

And we’re just watching a movie. Imagine how the investigators felt trying to unravel this hornet’s nest of deceptions and conflicting loyalties.

One thing no one needs to wonder about, though, is what the six-months-pregnant Mariane went through when Daniel went off to interview a radical Islamic cleric in Karachi on January 23, 2002, and never returned. That’s because Angelina Jolie, in the best performance she’s given since winning an Oscar for “Girl, Interrupted,” leaves no doubt as to how every uncertain moment of the ordeal impacted Mariane.

Smartly, she doesn’t do this by playing into the hyper-dramatic situation (until, of course, horrific inevitability demands nothing short of gut wailing). Rather, Jolie understands that Mariane Pearl has a journalist’s temperament — and that includes a methodical nature and some degree of objectivity. The actress also seems to know that Mariane, a multi-ethnic French citizen, may have a different understanding than an American might of the overall picture she was suddenly, traumatically at the center of.

Plus, perhaps because her own mother was French, Jolie expresses Mariane’s every thought, regardless of how complex or direct, with a pitch-perfect accent. That’s not just a technical compliment; it goes a long way toward revealing the extent of an incalculably stressed woman’s remarkable soul.

The two major supporting players among an ever-growing mass of characters — Dan Futterman (TV’s “Judging Amy”) as Daniel and India’s Irfan Khan (”The Namesake”) as the lead Pakistani investigator known only as Captain — have neither the screen time nor the kinds of scenes with which to match Jolie’s performance. But they’re perfectly solid in what they do, which in Khan’s case is quite a bit.

Utter strangers, perhaps necessarily so, to the concept of suspects’ rights, the local authorities are so embarrassed by the kidnapping that they really do stop at nothing — even though many members of their team probably sympathize, and may even be in cahoots with, the American-hating terrorists. That makes the police procedural aspect of the film unique and fascinating.

Winterbottom filmed it all in a handheld, tight-in, gritty you-are-there style, mostly in Pakistan and India. It’s a good approach, but like other aspects of the movie, it doesn’t quite deliver the stirring impact one might expect.

On the other hand, the English director made “In This World” and “The Road to Guantanamo,” similarly documentary-style features that demonstrated a great empathy for this part of the Muslim world. There’s usually a very leftist lean to his work, but even though Winterbottom doesn’t go out of his way to demonize anyone here, his sympathy is certainly on the side of people who don’t behead captives.

Which isn’t shown in “A Mighty Heart,” by the way. Like much else about the movie, that’s a good, judicious choice.

Maybe you could argue that a bit less tastefulness might have made for a nervier movie. But I’m not sure we really needed that.

What does it matter in the greater scheme of things what an obscure gossipist wrote in a second or third or fourth tier newspaper? Anyone can make up anything said to be provided to them by some unnamed source. It does not even merit repeating. It is worthless and of no value.

Love these pics of the family. Maddox is growing up so fast, it seems like he didn’t grow for years and now look at those long legs on him. He is dressed in the same colors as his mom and dad. LOL.

Watched the video and it is quite appearant that Pax already knows very well who his dad is. Pax heard that thunder, immediately turned to Brad and raised his arms to be picked up by Daddy because Daddy would keep his safe. And Brad immediately bent down and picked him up.

Angelina has that umbrella shelterng her family. She is certainly an earth mother.

This is a happy thriving family, and nothing can change that. The famly interactions, not any unnamed source, are proof of that fact.

778 Shut up Hypocrites

Apparently you didn’t understand my post. I said no x, no mom on any of the E, meaning etertainment shows, tonight. Not E the the show. Peace.

843 Passing Through | 06/22/2007 at 12:10 am
794 OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!! | 06/21/2007 at 11:20 pm
from gossipmonger’s blog.

Which celebrities will be using the upcoming media circus of Paris Hilton’s release from jail as a perfect distraction & decoy to quickly tie the knot?

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Haven’t you heard? X and Jane Pitt are getting married.

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LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How knowledgable is Ted? I know he is a gossip columnist, but I don’t know.
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Well he said that Brad Pitt was never going to marry jennifer aniston. I think that’s all you should now about ted. Ohhh he also said that J.lo and Marc and Tom Cruise and Katie were supossed to break up last year, but didn’t happend.

858 Not even close | 06/22/2007 at 12:19 am

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Please don’t copy and paste vile and evil post. You can quote the post number and the moniker. Makes it very hard for Jared to clean up the blog when crap is copied over and over.

Thanks
Lady G

Angie says “I don’t do drugs” and I believe her.

One more thing, angelina was a heroin addict when she was younger, so Ted should have said relapse.

The key word missing here: mother earth, in the blind item he doesn’t mention that FF has kids, which will be angelina.

am i the only one that finds it odd how all of a sudden Ted C and Perez have started bashing Angelina?

870 ? | 06/22/2007 at 12:31 am

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Not really!

Both are so deseperate to keep their jobs and they know that using Angie as a whipping post will get them the hits.

Both Perez and Ted C are ball-less SOBs because neither have the guts to go after male actors! It’s easy to pick on women because they know that some women are as catty as they are.

I just got back from seeing O13. I really enjoyed it.

I am going with my niece tommorrow afternoon to see AMH. With all these great reviews, I am really looking forward to seeing it.

844 NEW BLIND ITEM | 06/22/2007 at 12:11 am

JOLIE ON HEROIN! HA HA HA HA

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Geez…are you still here letting your ignorance show? It’s not Angie - it’s Pamela Anderson, you fool!