A Mighty Heart

Today I saw A Mighty Heart, starring Angelina Jolie.

The story follows the tragic end of Wall Street Journal writer Daniel Pearl's life. It is told chronologically from the time he leaves his wife to go to that fateful interview, to the birth of their son Adam a few months after he was murdered.

Angelina, who plays Marianne, is magnificent as a strong-willed journalist who acts as an effective team leader in the search for her husband, despite the fact she's five months pregnant at the time of his kidnapping. Jolie not only captures Mrs. Pearl's mannerisms and speech patterns, she harnesses the essence of this amazing woman's spirit, portraying her as a calming presence in the midst of a personal and political disaster. It's a shame that many have not been able to overlook Angelina's fame when speaking about her in this role because she certainly could be nominated for another Oscar® as a result of it. She's that good.

Also wonderful is Irfan Khan (The Namesake) as the captain in charge of tracking down Danny's captors. His no-nonsense, yet compassionate aura never entered the annoying arena of personas that typically get exaggerated in stories like this. I guess what I'm saying is that his understated acting is a benefit to this role and ultimately to the film overall.

I also felt that the dramatic scenes that we knew were all coming, were treated with grace and not overdone as I somewhat expected.

It's a devastating story, but it's also heartwarming because we learn that law enforcement and the governments of the countries involved and the family and coworkers of Mr. Pearl all worked together in peace to try to bring him home safely.

And they came so close.

The Simpsons Movie

Tonight I saw The Simpsons Movie, starring Homer, Bart, Marge, Maggie and Lisa Simpson.

It is the topic of Cinebanter #36, so tune in to hear our review.

Broken English

Tonight my Cinebanter partner and I saw Broken English, starring Parker Posey.

It is the topic of Cinebanter 35. Click here to download the show, free of charge.