A Mighty Heart

A Mighty Heart recounts the true story of the kidnapping and subsequent murder of journalist Daniel Pearl (Futterman) in Pakistan and the many months of search and effort that went into trying to secure his release. It's a heartbreaking tale, no doubt about it, filmed with immediacy, intelligence and style by Winterbottom. But due to the fact that most of the film comprises people tapping into computers or shouting on telephones, it's one that never quite manages to fully engage emotionally and is perhaps the sort of thing that could have worked better as a documentary than as dramatic narrative. Still, Jolie is outstanding as Marianne Pearl, who refuses to give up on her husband, and she should find herself Oscar nominated for her work, although mention should also go to Khan who is superb as the police captain giving his all for the case. [Paul Greenwood]