A Mighty Heart (2007): The film is based on Mariane Pearl’s account of the terrifying and unforgettable story of her husband, Wall Street Journal reporter Danny Pearl’s life and death.

I didn’t follow this story on the news, so I went into this movie without knowing the end. The events happen very fast and the emotions run high.

What struck me about this film is that it focused on the procedural aspect of the story, so that we follow the investigation very closely and are eager to discover more about it.

This movie certainly didn’t indulge in melodrama, which is what most movie of this type do. That’s not to say that there aren’t emotions, but the emotional scenes feel real and shocking, not sappy or overly dramatic.

Angelina Jolie’s performance is very good, she manages to portray Mariane’s emotions without overdoing it, instead she is always composed and rational, with the occational spurts of anger and emotions.

The people helping her finding her husband were also depicted realistically. They were not heroes with impeccable morals. They were normal people who were sad for Mariane, but they were also doing what they had to do.

This a well directed drama, with perfect tone for this true event.

Rating: 3.5 Stars