Eternals (2021 film)

 

Based on the Marvel Comics series by Jack Kirby, Eternals is the story of an immortal alien race who arrive on Earth to protect humanity from their evil counterparts as they reunite centuries later when the creatures known as Deviants have returned. Directed by Chloe Zhao and screenplay by Zhao, Patrick Burleigh, Ryan Firpo, and Kaz Firpo from a story by the Firpos, the film is an action-adventure story about a group of immortal figures who deal with the aftermath of an event that brought half of the universe’s population back as well as evil forces where they all deal with their separation and the many lives they endured. Starring Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Bryan Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Harish Patel, Kit Harrington, Salma Hayek, and Angelina Jolie. Eternals is a dazzling yet messy film from Chloe Zhao.

The film revolves around a group of immortal alien figures who arrive on Earth to protect humanity from evil creatures known as Deviants where the group reunite centuries later to deal with return of Deviants but also an event they have to ensure happens. It is a film that is about a family of sorts who all reunite centuries later as they live on Earth for a long time observing and interacting with humanity and civilization as the events of the Blip that lead to the return of half of the population who were wiped out five years before by Thanos suddenly lead to the return of the Deviants. The film’s screenplay does a lot of world building and establishing who the Eternals are yet it unfortunately takes up a lot of time for the narrative to have the entire team reunite but also deal with their own ideological differences, views on humanity, and their mission at hand as they have to serve the Celestial god known as Arishem (voice of David Kaye). The narrative for much of its first act also play into flashbacks into the lives of the Eternals including an event that lead to their break-up as well as other issues following their last encounter with the Deviants.

The titular group of consist of ten individuals each with a special power as they’re lead by their spiritual leader/healer Ajak (Salma Hayek) who is also the bridge between them and the Celestials. There’s also the empathetic Sersi (Gemma Chan) who can manipulate matter through physical contact, Ikaris (Richard Madden) who can fly and shoot cosmic beams with his eyes who is determined to finish his mission, the illusionist Sprite (Lia McHugh) who has the physical appearance of a 12-year old girl, the comical Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani) who shoots cosmic beams with his hands as he’s become a Bollywood star, the weapons and technological inventor Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry), the deaf Makkari (Lauren Ridloff) who possesses super-speed, mind-manipulator Druig (Barry Keoghan), the strongman Gilgamesh (Don Lee), and the goddess of war in Thena (Angelina Jolie) who can create weapons with her own powers. They all have something to offer but are broken apart by idealistic views on humanity and the decision to not interfere in human conflicts or events under Arishem’s rule. Upon the events of the Blip and the re-emergence of the Deviants, the team struggle to get themselves back on board due to various issues but also the fact that some of them have their own lives and are reluctant to take part in this conflict where the stakes are larger.

Chloe Zhao’s direction is definitely astonishing for the fact that it’s shot on various locations and its emphasis on realism about the evolution of civilization. Shot on various locations such as London, South Dakota, the Canary Islands, and Los Angeles, Zhao does create a film that does take place many centuries where the narrative flashbacks to the age of cavemen, Babylonia, the Incas, and the present world in the aftermath of the Avengers’ war against Thanos. Zhao’s usage of wide and medium shots to establish the locations and the world these characters are in as they interact with the world or observe the world around them. The way Zhao establishes the Eternals and how they impacted civilization early on does showcase moments that do play into their development but Zhao is unable to maintain that same momentum following their break-up as the reunion goes on for a long time.

While there are these moments that do play into the drama with Zhao’s usage of the medium shots and close-ups as it help audiences be engaged by the characters. There are moments where it drags too long for each member to reunite with one another as there’s also a lot of baggage from everyone in the team to deal with. Phastos is man with a son and a husband he loves as he had lost interest in creating new tech following a major historical event while Thena is a woman that is going through serious mental issues and memory loss due to centuries of fighting. For nearly two hours into the film, the two acts serve as not just to establish the team and who they are but also their reunion and the stakes of the mission as it could’ve been trimmed. Even as the third act reveal some revelations on Arishem’s motives as well as why the Deviants were created as it is clunky though there is some amazing action and drama that occur in the film. Overall, Zhao crafts an engaging yet extremely uneven film about a group of immortals trying to save Earth one last time following the return of their old foes.

Cinematographer Ben Davis does brilliant work with the cinematography with its emphasis on natural lighting for many of the daytime exterior scenes along with some low-key lighting for the exterior scenes at night and other stylish lighting including Kingo’s Bollywood film set. Editors Craig Wood and Dylan Tichenor do fine work with the editing as it has some style in the jump-cuts and allowing shots to linger though there’s moments where it does feel too long as the film could’ve trimmed 15 minutes from its running time. Production designers Eve Stewart and Clint Wallace, along with set decorators Pancho Chamorro and Michael Standish plus supervising art director Matthew Gray, do amazing work with the look of the Domo ship interiors as well as Ajak’s home in South Dakota, Gilgamesh and Thena’s home in Australia, Druig’s camp in the Amazons, and Phastos’ home in Chicago. Costume designer Sammy Sheldon does excellent work with the costumes from the casual look of the group in their non-hero suits to the design of the superhero suits they wear upon their arrival on Earth.

Hair/makeup/prosthetics makeup designer Frances Hannon does fantastic work with the look of the characters as it play into the different periods with Thena having a unique look of her own as does Ajak. Special effects supervisor Neil Corbould and visual effects supervisor Stephane Ceretti do incredible work with the look of the Deviants, the exterior of the Domo spaceship, and other effects as the mixture of practical and computerized effects as it is a highlight of the film. Sound designers David Farmer and Addison Teague, along with sound editor Daniel Laurie, do superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the locations as well as some of the sound effects into the powers that the Eternals have. The film’s music by Ramin Djawadi is wonderful for its orchestral-based score as it play into elements of bombast for some of the action and suspenseful scenes along with low-key string-based pieces for the dramatic moments while music supervisor Dave Jordan create a soundtrack that features different array of music that include pop, country, rock, hip-hop, Bollywood-based music, and others that feature contributions from Lizzo, BTS, Skeeter Davis, Foreigner, and Pink Floyd.

The casting by Sarah Finn and Anna Tenney is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Haaz Sleiman as Phastos’ husband Ben, Esai Daniel Cross as Phastos’ and Ben’s son Jack, Zain Al Rafeea as a villager who first meets the Eternals after being saved from a Deviant, Bill Skarsgard as the voice of an evolved Deviant in Kro, and David Kaye as the voice of the Celestial God Arishem. Harish Patel is terrific as Kingo’s manager Karun who films everything for Kingo’s documentary on the Eternals as he provides some humor but also some nice insight on his view on the group. Kit Harrington is superb as Sersi’s boyfriend Dane Whitman who works at the Natural History Museum in London as he is hoping to commit to her.

Lauren Ridloff and Barry Keoghan are excellent in their respective roles as Makkari and Druig with the former being a deaf yet funny Eternal with super-speed as she communicates through sign language while the latter is a sarcastic yet passionate figure with the power to manipulate minds as a way in wanting to stop conflicts in the hope he can save humanity. Brian Tyree Henry and Salma Hayek are brilliant in their respective roles as the technology inventor Phastos and the group leader/healer Ajak as the former being someone who hoped to create things that would help civilization only to retreat after catastrophic events to become a family man while the latter is a spiritual figure who communicates with Arishem where she never questions his motives until the return of the Deviants as she begins to question him as well as having a change of heart about the mission at hand. Don Lee and Angelina Jolie are amazing in their respective role as the super-strongman Gilgamesh and the warrior goddess Thena with the former being a man who is powerful but also someone with a lot of heart and patience in taking of the latter where Jolie displays a woman who is suffering from serious PTSD and weariness while also dealing with memory loss as it relates to her life fighting against Deviants.

Kumail Nanjiani is remarkable as the powerful yet witty Kingo who spent almost a century being a Bollywood film star as he brings a lot of humor but also questions about the mission at hand where he isn’t sure of being involved in something that would break up the team again. Lia McHugh is incredible as Sprite as a master illusionist who can create things yet has the body of a 12-year old girl who can’t age where she laments not being able to grow up while having her own feelings for Ikaris. Richard Madden is marvelous as Ikaris as a Superman-like persona who can fly and shoot cosmic beams with his eyes as a figure who is intent on wanting to finish his mission as well as reunite with his former flame in Sersi in the hope they can stay together after the mission. Finally, there’s Gemma Chan in a phenomenal performance as Sersi as the empath Eternal who can manipulate matter through physical touch while discovering new powers as a way to deal with the Deviants while lamenting over her love for humans and the stakes of the mission itself where she has to take charge in the film’s climax.

Eternals is a stellar yet wildly uneven film from Chloe Zhao. While it features a great ensemble cast, dazzling visuals, a cool music soundtrack, and some amazing action scenes. It is a film that is ambitious yet is hampered by wanting to be both a superhero film and an art film as it never found its balance despite some exciting moments. In the end, Eternals is a good film from Chloe Zhao.

Chloe Zhao Films: Songs My Brothers Taught Me – The Rider - (Nomadland)

Marvel Cinematic Universe: Infinity Saga: Phase One: Iron Man - The Incredible Hulk - Iron Man 2 - Thor - Captain America: The First Avenger - The Avengers

Phase Two: Iron Man 3 - Thor: The Dark World - Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Guardians of the Galaxy - The Avengers: Age of Ultron - Ant-Man

Phase Three: Captain America: Civil War - Doctor Strange - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - Spider-Man: Homecoming - Thor: Ragnarok - Black Panther - Avengers: Infinity War - Ant-Man and the Wasp - Captain Marvel - Avengers: Endgame - Spider-Man: Far from Home

Multiverse Saga: Phase Four: Black Widow (2021 film) - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - Spider-Man: No Way Home – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – Thor: Love and Thunder – Werewolf by Night - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

Phase Five: Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – The Marvels – (Deadpool & Wolverine) - (Captain America: Brave New World) - (Thunderbolts*)

Phase 6: The Fantastic Four: First Steps - (Avengers: Doomsday) - (Avengers: Secret Wars)

© thevoid99 2021

Changeling (2008 film)

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 11/2/08 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Directed by Clint Eastwood and written by J. Michael Straczynski, Changeling is the story of a woman in late 1920s Los Angeles whose son is kidnapped only for the police to claim they found her son as the boy turns out not to be her son. Based on a true story, the film is about a woman whose search for her kidnapped child leads her to team with a pastor to fight against the corruption of the LAPD amid accusations that she's unfit while one detective makes a grim discovery about what might've happened to the boy. Starring Angelina Jolie, Jeffrey Donovan, Jason Butler Harner, Michael Kelly, Geoff Pierson, Colm Feore, Amy Ryan, and John Malkovich. Changeling is a harrowing yet powerful drama from Clint Eastwood and company.

The film takes place in 1928 Los Angeles where Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie) is a single mother who raises her 9-year-old son Walter (Gattlin Griffith) while working as a phone-line supervisor. When he doesn't return home one day as she believes he's kidnapped, she reports the incident to the LAPD where a five-month search for the boy had the LAPD claim they found the boy yet it's not Walter as Christine reluctantly takes the boy as she starts to question the LAPD. Turning to the Reverend Gustav Briegleb (John Malkovich) who had been critical of the LAPD, Christine finds herself in trouble as she is taken to a psychiatric ward while a detective named Lester Ybarra makes a chilling discovery during an assignment to deport a 15-year old boy back to Canada. Through Ybarra's discovery and Reverend Briegleb's help, Christine would go on a mission to fight the LAPD and to try and find her son who was supposedly kidnapped by a psychotic named Gordon Northcott (Jason Butler Harner).

The film is about, in its simplest terms, a mother just wanting to know where her son is. Yet, when the people she is relying on doesn't help her out at all and challenges their authority. She turns to people in her community where she fights against corruption in seeking out the truth, even if the conclusion is something horrible. J. Michael Straczynski's script is definitely brilliant in its study of character and corruption while revealing some ugly truth into some gruesome murders that might not just affect Christine Collins. Though it's not perfect due to the aftermath of the trials with a lot of set-ups for the ending where it's overdrawn. The script does work in unveiling how a woman just wants to fight for what's right with help from a religious leader who just wants the same thing.

A film like this could've been told conventionally in the hands of a director who wants to presents something that could be sappy or very drawn out. In the hands of someone like Clint Eastwood, it becomes something far more interesting with characters to root for and themes that audiences can understand. Eastwood's direction is truly superb in its nuance for the period as it's shot mostly in California while presenting an idea of what it was like then. Eastwood and ends the film with the look shot in black-and-white to give it an old time feel. Yet, his angles and compositions in presenting a scene are told in a modern style while paying homage to older film styles. For some of the film's dramatic, emotional scenes, Eastwood prefers to let the drama unfold without any forced manipulation as he's often been accused of with some of his films.

Eastwood's reputation in directing his actors or lack-thereof really bring the performances of his actors to have a sense of freedom and authenticity. The approach works very well in his staging of the drama while allowing the camera to capture every moment. Even when showing that even characters like Christine and Reverend Briegleb to be flawed as well yet have the audience still root for them. Then, there's parts of the ending that suggests Eastwood's political leanings might come off as a little conservative for some audiences. Yet, in what wanted to say about that specific scene in relation to what goes in the film. Whether you agree with him or not, he does have some points. Then there's the film's ending which can be described as ambiguous but the result does leave something that's open but also with a glimmer of hope. Overall, Eastwood does create a drama that is captivating as the man is still in the top of his game as a director.

Cinematographer Tom Stern does excellent work in the usual tinted, greenish look of the film with some amazing shading in some of the film's interior settings as it brings a sense of atmosphere for its dramatic moments. Stern's camera work in the exteriors in some of the LA shots in the rain are done with a wonderful shade of blue-green while the scenes in the desert is gorgeous with its light-colored look. Editors Joel Cox and Gary D. Roach do excellent work in the smoothness of the film's cutting along with opening and closing dissolve shots from black-and-white to color and vice versa. The editing for some of the film's more heightened dramatic sequences has some swift, transitional cuts and jump cuts as the editing is excellent overall.

Production designer James J. Murakami with set decorator Gary Fettis and Patrick M. Sullivan Jr., do great work in the film's interior designs of Christine's home, the look of the church and police departments. The film also had an exterior design on a restaurant shack where the false boy was found where the shack is named Bummy's after Eastwood's late production designer Henry Bumstead. Visual effects supervisor Michael Owens do some great work in some of the redesign on some of the film's exterior LA settings to change it from today's Los Angeles to late 1920s-1930s LA. Costume designer Deborah Hopper does amazing work in the film's costumes, notably the look of the women's clothes with the hats, dresses, shoes, and such. There's a real authenticity to the film's look and style as Hopper's work is truly superb.

Sound editor Alan Robert Murray does great work in the sound in the way the trolleys sound along with objects and other things. Murray's work is excellent for the atmosphere it brings in each scene. For the film's score written by Clint Eastwood with arrangements by his son Kyle and Michael Eastman, the music is mostly orchestral with low, sweeping arrangement to underscore the drama. Yet, with mostly a piano and an acoustic guitar accompaniment. The music mostly leans towards jazz music with a trumpet to pay homage to the 1920s.

The cast assembled by Ellen Chenoweth, is superb with memorable appearances from Jeffrey Hutchinson and Lily Knight as parents of a missing child, Riki Lindhome as an examination nurse, Michelle Martin as phone operator, Peter Geraty as a doctor examining the fake boy, Pamela Dunlap as Walter's teacher, John Harrington Bland as a dentist, Reed Birney as the LA mayor, and a cameo from Clint's daughter Morgan as a neighborhood girl. Eddie Alderson is very good as Sanford, the boy who confesses to what he and his cousin did that would break a huge case that might involve Walter's disappearance. Frank Wood is also good as Ben Harris, Christine's supervisor at the phone service office who sympathizes with her situation as he also helps her. Devon Conti is very good as the fake boy who claims to be Walter with a smarmy attitude until he makes his confession. Gattlin Griffith is excellent in his small role as the real Walter Collins, a good kid who ends up getting captured while early in the film. He has a great scene with Jolie about fighting that would be the rallying call for the entire film.

Denis O'Hare is very good as the corruptive doctor at the mental ward who tries to make Christine sign something that she knows would discredit her. Jason Butler Harner is great as Gordon Northcott, the man who is revealed to be the murderer of many children as he's a guy with a smarmy smile that might reveal the fate of Walter Collins. Colm Feore is good as the chief of police who is trying to use the law for his own gain only to be faced with embarrassment. Amy Ryan is great as Carol Dexter, a prostitute who befriends Christine at a mental ward as she gives her lessons on how to survive the ward while proving that she can be pretty tough. Michael Kelly is great as Detective Ybarra, the good cop who uncovers a gruesome case and becomes one of the few allies in the LAPD for Christine.

Jeffrey Donovan is excellent as Captain Jones, the man who would set the course for Christine's fight against corruption as a police officer who is more about showing off his authority than doing the right thing. John Malkovich is superb as Reverend Gustav Briegleb, a local pastor with a radio broadcast who is set out to do the right thing for his community. While like many preachers, he might be a bit preachy, but Malkovich does bring a sense of comfort and an unrelenting presence to his performance as it stands out as one of his best. It's an amazing performance from Malkovich who should be singled out as a community leader wanting to do what's right for his community and its people.

Finally, there's Angelina Jolie in an amazing performance as Christine Collins. Following her knockout, dramatic performance in Michael Winterbottom's 2007 film A Mighty Heart, Jolie returns to what she does best as she plays a character that she can relate to being that she is a mother. Jolie goes for restraint than melodrama in most of what she does in her performance as she proves that she can be tough while when it comes to her son. Her restraint in the emotions is powerful as it's definitely a performance that reminds audiences in why she's a really good actress instead of the high-profile star that she's often known for.

Changeling is a powerful and intense film from Clint Eastwood. Thanks to the great performances from Angelina Jolie and John Malkovich, it's a film that really shows the power of what people can do when they're faced with injustice. Fans of Eastwood's film will no doubt enjoy in what the director can despite a few flaws in the film. In the end, Changeling is a film that is worth seeing for its performances, 1920s period look, and the understated, atmospheric direction of Clint Eastwood.

Clint Eastwood Films: (Play Misty for Me) - High Plains Drifter - (Breezy) - (The Eiger Sanction) - (The Outlaw Josey Wales) - (The Gauntlet) - (Bronco Billy) - (Firefox) - (Honkytonk Man) - Sudden Impact - Pale Rider - (Heartbreak Ridge) - (Bird) - (White Hunter Black Heart) - (The Rookie) - Unforgiven - (A Perfect World) - (The Bridges of Madison County) - (Absolute Power) - (Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil) - (True Crime) - (Space Cowboys) - (Blood Work) - (Mystic River) - Million Dollar Baby - Flags of Our Fathers - Letters from Iwo Jima - (Gran Torino) - (Invictus) - (Hereafter) - (J. Edgar) - (Jersey Boys) - American Sniper - (Sully) - (The 15:17 to Paris) - (The Mule)

© thevoid99 2014

Kung Fu Panda

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 11/13/09 w/ Additional Edits.

Directed by Mark Osborne and John Stevenson with a screenplay by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger based on a story by Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris. Kung Fu Panda tells the story of a kung fu-loving panda in ancient China who is mistakenly chosen to become a legendary warrior. Meanwhile, an angry tiger breaks free from prison to wreak havoc on a peaceful valley as the only person that can stop is the panda. A mixture of martial arts films with comedy, light-drama, and inspirational drama. It's a film that is truly entertaining while having something to say. With an all-star voice cast that includes Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, David Cross, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogen, Ian MacShane, Dan Fogler, Michael Clarke Duncan, Randall Duk Kim, James Hong, and Jackie Chan. Kung Fu Panda is a charming, fun, and entertaining film from Mark Osborne & John Stevenson.

The film is a lot of things but really, it's about a panda who becomes an unlikely hero despite the fact that he's clumsy, fat, and not knowing a lot of skills that a kung fu master would have yet. There's something else that makes the film far more than just an entertaining film with action sequences and comedy. It's about how a teacher like Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) can make a fat, clumsy panda like Po (Jack Black) into a warrior that he's destined to be. At first, Shifu is convinced that Po is not the Dragon Warrior only to realize that he might be the only person that can help rectify the mistake he made in raising Tai Lung (Ian MacShane) to believe that he would be the Dragon Warrior.

While Shifu has taught his students in ways that is traditional, with Po, he realized that he can't teach him the same way he taught the Furious Five. In this unconventional approach, both teacher and student bond while becoming unlikely heroes where the student gains confidence while the teacher finds a sense of redemption and peace that he's craving for. That's one of the big themes about the film while the secret revealed in the Dragon Scroll is actually much simpler than it is. For someone as inexperienced and with a limited knowledge of kung fu like Po to face someone as fierce and as skilled as Tai Lung seems like a total mismatch. Yet, it's not about how many moves or how fast or powerful your moves are. It's all about what you can do with what little you know and how to apply while still getting the job done.

The writers of the film do an amazing job in creating universal themes that aren't heavy-handed along with memorable characters and development for the story to be engaging. The direction of Mark Osborne and John Stevenson is truly superb in its recreation of ancient China along with sequences and set pieces that are phenomenal. Notably the action sequences that move with great rhythm and composed with great style that is similar to the film work of Zhang Yimou as well as Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. At the same time, they make a martial arts film that isn't a parody but rather as an action film with dabbles of humor and drama. The visual look of the film is definitely stunning as they do raise the bar for everything they did in comparison to the other work that Dreamworks animation do. While it may not have the vast visual flair of Pixar, Osborne and Stevenson do succeed in crafting a solid film that is entertaining and enlightening.

The animation is definitely phenomenal with some fantastic lighting designs by cinematographer Yong Duk Jhun along with art direction by production designer Raymond Zibach and art director Tang Kheng Heng in the look of the Jade Palace and prison where Tai Lung stayed. Clare De Chenu's editing is definitely phenomenal in its sense of rhythm while using jump-cuts and freeze-frames for the action sequences to keep things going. Sound designer Ethan Van der Ryn and sound editor Erik Aadahl do great work in the sound of swords and grunts that goes on for the action sequences. The music of Hans Zimmer and John Powell is wonderful for its mixture of intense orchestral pieces for action scenes along with traditional Chinese music for its scenery and atmosphere. The soundtrack also includes a fantastic cover of Kung Fu Fighting performed by Cee-Lo and Jack Black.

The casting is excellent with some cameo voices from Wayne Knight, Laura Kightlinger, JR Reed, and Jack Black's Tenacious D partner Kyle Gass. Michael Clarke Duncan's voice as the prison warden Vachir is wonderfully comical along with Dan Fogler as the scared goose Zeng. Randall Duk Kim provides the right notes for the wise tortoise Master Oogway while James Hong provides a nice warmth and humor to the role of Po's goose father Mr. Ping. In the roles of the Furious Five, Seth Rogen provides some nice humor as Mantis while David Cross plays straight man as the calm, restrained Crane. Lucy Liu is very good as the sensitive Viper while Jackie Chan adds some humor and restraint as Monkey. In the role of Tigress, Angelina Jolie is excellent as the humorless and skillful warrior who doesn't respect Po only to realize that she is not strong enough to face Tai Lung.

Ian MacShane is great as Tai Lung, the fierce warrior who is anxious to attain the Dragon Scroll while is filled with lots of hate and anger over the fact that he wasn't chosen the first time around. Dustin Hoffman is brilliant as Master Shifu, a skillful master who at first ridicules Po while possessing no humor until he realizes how he can reach him where Hoffman displays a sense of warmth and charm. Finally, there's Jack Black who is perfectly cast as Po, the title character who is this clumsy yet funny panda who becomes this great warrior while displaying some vulnerability and confidence that makes his character appealing.

Kung Fu Panda is a marvelous film from Dreamworks Animation. With an amazing voice cast and phenomenal technical work, it's a film that is visually stunning but also entertaining. While the story is formulaic but works, it is a film that is worth watching over and over again as Kung Fu Panda is just a fun, enlightening film to watch.

© thevoid99 2013

A Mighty Heart

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 6/24/07 w/ Additional Edits.

Following the attacks of 9/11/01 and the uproar over terrorism that included Al-Qaeda and other terrorists affiliates in Afghanistan and parts of Pakistan. There was a frenzy in the world of journalism on information into what was going on. The motives, who were people working for, and such. One of those journalists who was in Pakistan covering the world of terrorism was American journalist Daniel Pearl. In late January 2002, Pearl was kidnapped by a terrorist group on his way to interview a terrorist leader. Pearl was later killed on February 1, 2002 just days after photos of him handcuffed and with a gun to his head were shown. His body cut into pieces, and the horror of his death sent shockwaves around the world. Around this time, his wife Mariane was pregnant with their son Adam who would be born later in May 2002. A year later, Mariane Pearl released a memoir about her husband's life and death in the book entitled A Mighty Heart where years later, it's become a film of the same name.

Directed by British auteur Michael Winterbottom with an adapted script by John Orloff with screen story credit by Sarah Crichton. A Mighty Heart tells the story of Daniel and Mariane Pearl's time in Pakistan following the attacks of 9/11 that would eventually led to Daniel Pearl's death. The film is a detailed account based on Mariane Pearl's memoirs and the time of her husband's death. Playing the roles of the couple are Capote screenwriter Dan Futterman and Angelina Jolie in their respective roles of Daniel and Mariane Pearl. Also starring Archie Panjabi, Jillian Armenante, Irfan Khan, and Will Patton. A Mighty Heart is a powerful yet harrowing drama from Michael Winterbottom.

Following the attacks of 9/11 and the war against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban in parts of Pakistan, journalists all over the world are covering the war on terror as well as terrorism itself. Among them are the Pearls, Wall Street journalist Daniel Pearl and his French-born, multiracial wife Mariane, who is pregnant with their child. Living with another Wall Street journalist in Asra Nomani (Archie Panjabi) in Karachi, Pakistan, Daniel Pearl uncovers a possible link between a terrorist organization in Pakistan to the shoe-bomber Richard Reid, who tried to blow up a plane. On January 23, 2002, Daniel Pearl leaves for another typical assignment as he hopes to meet contacts to a man named Sheikh Gilani (Ikram Bhatti). He would never be seen again where on that day, Mariane went shopping for dinner waiting for her husband.

The next day, he doesn't come home as Mariane, Asra, and others wonder where is he as they call the police to report him missing. A police captain (Ifran Khan) is called upon to supervise the investigation with help from FBI agents Maureen Platt (Jillian Armenante) and Randall Bennett (Will Patton) who met Daniel on the day he disappeared during Daniel's meeting on whether or not he should meet the contact. The suspicions arises when everyone tries to find out where is Daniel and if he's alive. Finally, photos of him had surfaced through suspicious emails claiming to have Daniel Pearl in custody. The captain goes further into the city of Karachi as he tries to find the locations of computers and such. Wall Street journalist Steve LeVine (Gary Wilmes) and editor John Skelton (Demetri Goritsas) join in to help Mariane.

With Mariane often contacts Daniel's parents Judea (Jeffry Kaplow) and Ruth Pearl (Perrine Moran) for news, she helps along in the investigation since she too, is a journalist. When Sheikh Gilani is caught, the captain and Bennett learn that Gilani is not the man but bait. Another contact Daniel was supposed to meet for Gilani was a man named Bashir whose real name is Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh (Aly Khan). After capturing several associates, the captain learns that Omar has been caught already as he is interrogated to see if he knows where Daniel is. Time goes by when finally, a video tape was surfaced through a Pakistan journalist giving it to an American when the truth is uncovered breaking the hearts of everyone including Mariane.

A film like this based on a real-life tragedy could've been handled with a heavy-handed approach into melodrama. Fortunately, in the hands of the very prolific Michael Winterbottom. The film doesn't stray into traditional or conventional, Hollywood territory of huge dramatic moments and endings that aren't realistic. With John Orloff's adapted script based on Mariane Pearl's novel, the film is less plot-driven but rather plays itself as an unconventional thriller filled with suspense of what happens. While the audience knows what happens in the end, Michael Winterbottom goes for the same documentary-like style to tell the story. While the cinema verite style might not be everyone's cup of tea, the immediacy and intensity of Winterbottom's direction makes it feel like the audience is watching everything unfold.

The direction of Winterbottom with the film shot in India, rather than Pakistan for security reasons, is wonderfully handled. While not much is revealed on the film's politics though the film opens with reports of the world following the events of Pakistan. The film is not about politics but rather about this woman trying to cling on to some kind of hope that her husband is alive only to be wrecked by tragedy. Yet, the aftermath of Daniel's death shows it strength in the character of Mariane who gives a fascinating speech about terror that isn't preachy at all. Even the use of flashbacks about Daniel and Mariane's life shows the strength of that character. While the film has shots of Karachi, the locations as well as the hand-held camera style really gives the film a unique style that wouldn't work by Hollywood standards or in the hands of lesser director. In the end, it's Winterbottom's strength as a director and his unique style that brings a lot of attention to the film's story and drama.

Cinematographer Marcel Zyskind and his digital-camera photography really adds nuance to many of the film's locations with its natural, documentary-like photography on many of the film's exterior sequences. For the interior scenes, notably in the home base of the Pearls, the film looks very intimate while doesn't go into too many close-ups to capture the drama. Editor Peter Christelis does excellent work on using jump-cuts to bring an unconventional rhythm to the film's pacing while using stock footage to convey what was going on in early 2002. Production designer Mark Digby and art director Christopher Sull create a wonderful look to the home of the Pearls that include a marker board that creates a puzzle for the investigation. Charlotte Walter goes for realism in the film's look of clothes that shows the personality of Mariane and her connection to Daniel.

Makeup artist Toni G and hair stylist Adruitha Lee do wonderful work in recreating Angelina Jolie into the character of Mariane Pearl with her perm hair, dark eyes, and her unique look. Sound editor Joakim Sundstrom definitely captures the atmosphere of Karachi that includes the morning prayer blasted through the city as well as some of the film's highly, emotional moments. The film's score is by Harry Escott and Molly Nyman. Mostly using acoustic guitars to convey the suspense as well as a low-key orchestral score, the film also includes a wonderful piano piece by Nyman that reveals the film's emotions and Mariane's love for Daniel.

The film's cast is wonderfully assembled that features small performances from Denis O'Hare as John Bussey, Zachary Coffin as Matt McDowell, Jillian Armenante, Perrine Moran, Jeffry Kaplow, Demetri Goritsas, Gary Wilkes, Amy Shindler as Daniel's sister Michelle, and Chad Chenouga as Mariane's brother Satchi. In the roles of the suspects, Aly Khan and Ikram Bhatti are wonderfully performed, especially for not being portrayed as villains but real-life human beings. Will Patton gives an excellent performance as Randall Bennett, the FBI agent who is part of the investigation who tries to help things out while having a funny one-liner about the investigation. Archie Panjabi gives an amazing performance as Asra Nomani, the Wall Street journalist and friend who tries to use her connections to help the investigation while being the sympathetic friend for Mariane.

Ifran Khan is also great as the captain who leads the investigation while not being afraid to be rough in order to interrogate. Khan brings a presence that is very alarming to the film as a man who wants to do what is right for not just Mariane but his country who is starting to look real bad in front of the world. Dan Futterman is wonderful as Daniel Pearl where he's often seen mostly in flashbacks as a man who seems like a professional journalist and a good husband. Futterman definitely sells the wonderful human being that is Daniel Pearl to the way he adores Mariane and how he is with his fellow journalists.

In what has to be her best film role since her Oscar-winning performance in James Mangold's 1999 film Girl, Interrupted, Angelina Jolie definitely disappears into the character of Mariane Pearl. While some parts of Pearl's French accent may not be perfect nor does she look like Mariane. Jolie still manages to portray this woman like anyone who would go through a tragedy like this. What is more striking about her performance is how restrained she is through most of the film as she strips down all layers of her public persona and goes into character. When the moment of tragedy occurs, it's Jolie's strength in that character that is really shocking and powerful. Overall, it's a fantastic performance from Angelina Jolie.

While not up to par with films like Wonderland, 24 Hour Party People, or In This World, A Mighty Heart is still a powerful movie by Michael Winterbottom. Fans of Angelina Jolie will no doubt find her performance to be one of her best. Fans of Winterbottom will be amazed that the director didn't change his style, even to a film that is involved by the likes of Jolie and producer Brad Pitt. Yet, the film isn't about Jolie, Pitt, or Winterbottom but rather the Pearls. Daniel, Mariane, and Adam Pearl as their life may be marred by tragedy but its outcome proves that all you need is love. In the end, A Mighty Heart is a film that is mighty in itself.

Michael Winterbottom Films: (Rosie the Great) - (Forget About Me) - (Under the Sun) - (Love Lies Bleeding) - (Family (1993 TV film)) - (Butterfly Kiss) - (Go Now) - (Jude) - Welcome to Sarajevo - I Want You - (With or Without You (1998 film)) - Wonderland (1999 film) - The Claim - 24 Hour Party People - In This World - Code 46 - 9 Songs - Tristram Shandy: A Cock & Bull Story - The Road to Guantanamo - Genova - The Shock Doctrine (2009 film) - The Killer Inside Me - The Trip (2010 film) - (Trishna) - (Everyday) - The Look of Love - (The Trip to Italy) - (The Face of an Angel)

© thevoid99 2012