Michael Winterbottom is such a prolific director that you can never be sure what you’re going to get. Happily, A Mighty Heart, a detailed account of the search for kidnapped Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002, is a proper film. On paper one might assume that you know exactly how things will play out. We do, after all, know the tragic outcome. But Mr. Winterbottom fragments the chronology for maximum drama.
The effect is thrilling. Unlike say Syriana, where the narrative was often hampered by heaps of exposition, the film pounds along in a manner that is only rivalled by Paul Greengrass’ Bourne flicks. Mr. Pearl, you may recall, was kidnapped in Karachi by supporters of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. Mr. Winterbottom tracks the efforts by Department of Justice, Diplomatic Security Service special agents, the Pakistan police and colleagues from the Wall Street Journal to track the kidnappers and bring them to justice. At the centre of this political intrigue is Angelina Jolie. Her performance as Pearl’s wife and fellow journalist Mariane is a career best. Remember when we cared more about what she did onscreen? It even brings you back to those halcyon days.