Michael Winterbottom’s documentary style film takes its audience to the choked streets of Karachi, Pakistan, where, in January 2002, American journalist Daniel Pearl (Dan Futterman) was kidnapped. It was to have been his final night in Pakistan, but instead his last minute search for a story ended in a tragedy that was broadcast all over the world.
Alerted to his disappearance by his pregnant wife Mariane (Angelina Jolie), local and international investigators soon set up headquarters in the house they shared with a fellow Wall Street journalist Asra Nomani (Archie Panjabi). As the nightmare stretches from days to weeks, Mariane’s composure is helped by her Buddhist faith, though nothing can save her from the anguish of her husband’s brutal murder. Moving to New York, the real Mariane wrote a book as a personal memorial to her husband.
The intensity never abates as the actors recreate the five harrowing weeks of searching for Daniel amongst increasing media frenzy. Angelina Jolie’s bi-lingual performance is particularly good, but it is a bit disappointing that the curly wig and brown contacts could not hide the fact that we were looking at Angelina rather than Mariane. Even though the audience already knows the result of the investigation, the drama never diminishes as the tragedy unfolds.
Directed by Michael Winterbottom (M)
