Movie Info:
Writer: Mariane Pearl, John Orloff
Director: Michael Winterbottom
Cast: Dan Futterman, Angelina Jolie, Archie Panjabi, Mohammed Afzal, Mushtaq Khan, Daud Khan, Telal Saeed, Arif Khan, Tipu Taheer, Amit Dhawan, Saira Nasir Khan, Aliya Khan
Rating: R
Studio: Paramount Home Entertainment
Release Info:
Theatrical Release: June 22, 2007
DVD Release Date: March 24, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $14.99
Paramount has decided to release a selection of their movies from 2008 on Blu-ray. As a whole, the quality of these movies is better than in standard definition, but Paramount has skimped on bonuses, recycling those from the original release and not adding much more than that. It seems almost silly to release these movies in Blu-ray if they offer not much more than the standard DVD release
I don’t want this to take anything away from the movie A Mighty Heart. Adapted from the true life memoir of Mariane Pearl concerning the abduction and murder of her husband, Daniel, this movie is beautifully crafted. There was a lot of hubbub when this film came out concerning lead actress, Angelina Jolie and her race not matching that of Mariane Pearl. Pearl herself praised the choice of Jolie and every effort is made by the cast and crew to make this film as realistically authentic as possible.
Honestly, Jolie’s performance as Pearl is heartbreaking. I didn’t find the fact that beneath the makeup I knew Angelina Jolie is a white American (Pearl is light skinned enough for Jolie to pass as her) to be any bit distracting. I was more interested in the story. This is a poignant look at problems in the Middle East and a reminder of how militants view ‘foreigners,’ especially Americans. Add in the fact that this is a true story and it is even more heart wrenching.
While the movie is excellent, I could give or take this release. I love Blu-ray and frankly this movie doesn’t have enough action to warrant a Blu-ray release. When I think Blu-ray I think movies like Transformers, which can really benefit from the phenomenal audio and visual quality. Movies like A Mighty Heart look nice on Blu-ray, but don’t have the same pizazz as the high action flicks.
Only so much can be added to the quality an excellent standard DVD transfer can provide. In these instances, I generally prefer to advise those reading my reviews to weigh the options between Blu-ray and Standard DVD (i.e. price, quality, bonuses) and make their own decision as to whether Blu-ray is worth it. As you might have guessed, A Mighty Heart is one of those transfers.
The A Mighty Heart Plot
We have unique knowledge of what is going to happen in A Mighty Heart. The tragic death of journalist, Daniel Pearl captivated and touched the hearts of people across the world. It was January 23, 2002 when Mariane Pearl’s (Jolie) life changed forever.
The film recounts the events leading up to the kidnapping. as well as what Mariane did during his kidnapping and when she found out he had been killed. Daniel Pearl (Dan Futterman) was the South Asia bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal. He was researching an article on Richard Reid, the shoe bomber, which brought him (and his pregnant wife, Mariane) to Karachi. Danny was promised access to a hard to track down source, setting up an interview in a way he had a million times before.
After saying goodbye to his wife, and telling her he might be late for dinner, Mariane went about her day, not knowing that would be the last time she saw her husband. It isn’t long before it becomes clear that Pakistani militants have kidnapped Pearl. They have him tape a series of videos, which are seen by the investigators searching for him, and his wife.
Caught in a hell like no other, Mariane is comforted only by the clear defiance in Danny. Scared to face a future alone with her small child, a son who will never know his father, Mariane sets out to keep the spirit of her husband alive, not only for her young son, but for the world, who should never forget the great sacrifice Pearl made for his country and for his belief in accurate and true journalism.
This movie is based on the memoir written by Mariane Pearl, A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death of My Husband Danny Pearl. It was her gift to Danny and to Adam, the son whom Danny named before his disappearance and death.
Storyline/Plot: 
Replayability:
Acting:
Directing:
Audio/Visual:
A Mighty Heart was previously offered on HD and DVD, prior to the complete switch to just DVD and Blu-ray. Having already watched the HD version I can say that the 1080p VC-1 encode looks just about identical to what I remember seeing on the previous transfer. This isn’t the best transfer out there when it comes to Blu-ray, though it is the best transfer for this film. The film has decent coloring and the level of detail ranges based on various shots that are used, though that is to be expected in a film like this. The fleshtones look good and there really isn’t too much to complain about. For what it had to work with, this ended up looking just fine.
The audio for A Mighty Heart is offered in English Dolby TrueHD 5.1. Again, this is identical to the previous HD version that was released by Paramount. This is a unique movie because while it’s mainly dialogue there is a large selection of action in small parts of the movie. Thanks to these dynamic soundbursts, the surround sound is used quite a bit. It’s not a perfect transfer, but it does have moments where it shows off what Blu-ray is capable of doing. In addition to the English audio, there are Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks in both Spanish and French. Subtitles are available in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Visual: 
Audio: 
Bonus Features:
If you have the DVD or HD version of A Mighty Heart you aren’t going to find anything different in this area. The special features are exactly the same for all three formats of the film. What you receive is a documentary, a featurette, and a Public Service Announcement. Surprisingly, no commentary is present here. Considering the fact that this was based on true events a commentary would have been pretty interesting. It’s too bad that it is not available. What is here is a pretty bland, small selection that is certainly not befitting of a movie as good as this one.
The documentary, “Journey of Passion” lasts for 30 minutes and looks mainly at things behind the scenes. There are the standard cast and crew interviews that are commonplace in a behind the scenes features. The interviews focus on the history of the events and the challenges that came up when making this film. It would have been nice to see the real people behind the events, but they are not available here. This is by far the best featurette, but in saying that, it’s important to note that it could have been much better.
This is followed up by a nine minute featurette, “Committee to Protect Journalists” that looks at the foundation that was created in hopes of helping to protect journalists around the globe. The most surprising thing here is how many journalists have been killed over the years. The most important thing here is how increasing political pressure can help lessen the lives lost.
The PSA is just a short, two minute, announcement by Christiana Amanpour that talks about the Daniel Pearl Foundation. The mission of the foundation is to promote cross-cultural understanding that can be found through journalism, music, and innovative forms of communication.
Bonus Features:
Bottom Line:
A Mighty Heart is an amazing, gripping drama that with touch your heart and soul. While you will have to decide whether upgrading or purchasing this in Blu-ray is worth it, you shouldn’t hesitate when it comes to picking this film up in any form. The acting is superb and Mariane Pearl’s story, her outlook, and her very life is inspiring. This movie is highly recommended. However, if you already own this in standard or HD versions, you’ll probably want to pass on this release.
Overall Rating:
Technorati Tags: BD Review, Blu-ray, A Mighty Heart, Angelina Jolie, Daniel Pearl, True Story, Journalist, Terrorist Attack
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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.
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