“A Mighty Heart”
Rated PG
Now playing
***1/2

THE STORY: In January 2002, Daniel Pearl (Dan Futterman), the Wall Street Journal’s South Asia bureau chief, went to meet a secret source in Karachi, Pakistan, while working on a story. He never returned.

Working alongside other journalists, the FBI and Pakistani investigators, his wife Mariane Pearl (Angelina Jolie) searches to find the men who kidnapped her husband.

(Photo: Mariane Pearl [Angelina Jolie] looks for her kidnapped husband in "A Mighty Heart." Credit: Peter Mountain -- Paramount Vantage.)

THE MOVIE: Director Michael Winterbottom did Mariane Pearl’s memoir, “Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death of My Husband Danny Pearl,” a great deal of justice. The film echoes many of the messages from her book – do not give into fear, inspire others and transcend religion, race and hate. The footage of busy city streets and the suspects’ arrests creates a raw and real feeling of suspense, waiting and hoping.

The movie is genuine and simple, representing the different sides of the incident without picking sides and skewing the story at hand. Jolie’s brilliant performance effectively portrays Mariane Pearl’s strength, courage and open-mindedness.

A LOT IN TWO HOURS: Some parts of the film may be confusing and hard to understand because the movie packages a series of events into two hours. But the fast-paced feeling only adds to the intensity and makes the movie more powerful.

THE BOTTOM LINE: This is a story of hope, courage and belief that humanity and compassion ultimately will prevail. While this movie has no mystery ending, it still manages to keep viewers at the edge of their seats as the drama unveils and brings hope to others.

-- Emily Chow, The Harker School, San Jose