A Private War
2/4
Starring: Rosamund Pike, Jamie Dornan, Tom Hollander, Nikki Aumka-Bird, Stanley Tucci
Rated R for Disturbing Violent Images, Language Throughout, and Brief Sexuality/Nudity
Perhaps "A Private War" is simply too ambitious. Director Matthew Heineman has cast a wide net in his attempt to tell the story of famed war correspondent Marie Colvin, including everything from her time in various war zones, her philosophy on life and her post-traumatic stress disorder. Even her love life gets its due. There's something to be said for shooting for the stars, but there is no denying that "A Private War" comes up short in virtually every category.
Marie Colvin (Pike) was a war correspondent The Sunday Times. She had a dogged tenacity and ignored the risks to get the story. "A Private War" covers her reporting in Sri Lanka (where she lost vision in her eye), Iraq, Libya and Syria. In Iraq, she met freelance photographer Paul Conroy (Dornan), who would become her close friend and confidant.
In addition to showing us her experiences in places that no sane person would want to visit, Heineman takes the time to psychoanalyze Colvin. She hates bearing witness to so much suffering yet is obsessed with getting the story. She is well aware of the dangers she faces yet has no qualms about going toe to toe with Muammar Gaddafi (Raad Rawi). She longs for a family and children yet is always itching for the next adventure. Paul says that she's addicted (which would make sense, given her obvious alcoholism and chain smoking), but her response is simply "I see it, so you don't have to).
The problem with this is obvious: there simply not enough time in a two hour movie to give any of these characters and ideas their due. The people she meets, including someone whose death is intended to provoke a strong reaction but it barely registers, are so sketchily developed that it's hard to care about anyone. Her relationship with Paul is half-baked. It's never explained why he is always with her (although he and Pike have a nice, understated platonic chemistry). Even Marie herself is thinly drawn. Marie never becomes a complete person.
The acting is a high point of the film. Rosamund Pike undergoes a complete transformation in voice and appearance to play Colvin. It's hard to imagine that this is the same actress who played a Bond girl and Amy Dunne in the overrated "Gone Girl." There's a brief interview with the real Colvin at the end, and her performance is uncanny. Jamie Dornan, taking a break from playing Christian Grey, is also quite effective. His performance shows that he's more than a flash-in-the-pan actor. Tom Hollander also appears in a role that, for once, isn't the slightest bit sleazy. He's quite good as Marie's paternal editor, although the two share a scene that is so bad that it should never have seen the light of day. Stanley Tucci turns up for what ultimately turns out to be a thankless role.
Maybe there was a longer movie initially that gave its characters the chance to breathe, but someone on the money level gutted it. It would certainly explain the super awkward transitions, which are unacceptably confusing. Or secondary characters that feel like they should add more to the story than they actually do. If you're going to excise a substantial portion of your movie, you should find a creative editor to make it seem less jarring. Some sequences even cross cut between three different times (and are occasionally fantasy). And the girl with the slit wrists is never explained.
Still, there are scenes of real power here, particularly the final act which covers Colvin's coverage of the opening of the Syrian Civil War. Hineman hides nothing from the camera, including parents watching their child die to mothers who are unable to feed their infants anything but sugar and water. It's tough stuff, but because of the choices the director makes, their impact is muted.
If nothing else, "A Private War" highlights the importance of journalists like Colvin and Conroy. We always have a right to know the truth about our world, and reporters with guts and drive should be admired. Especially now when our leader calls them the "enemy of the people" when they dare criticize him. This movie shows us that the truth is always important, no matter how much it hurts.
Starring: Rosamund Pike, Jamie Dornan, Tom Hollander, Nikki Aumka-Bird, Stanley Tucci
Rated R for Disturbing Violent Images, Language Throughout, and Brief Sexuality/Nudity
Perhaps "A Private War" is simply too ambitious. Director Matthew Heineman has cast a wide net in his attempt to tell the story of famed war correspondent Marie Colvin, including everything from her time in various war zones, her philosophy on life and her post-traumatic stress disorder. Even her love life gets its due. There's something to be said for shooting for the stars, but there is no denying that "A Private War" comes up short in virtually every category.
Marie Colvin (Pike) was a war correspondent The Sunday Times. She had a dogged tenacity and ignored the risks to get the story. "A Private War" covers her reporting in Sri Lanka (where she lost vision in her eye), Iraq, Libya and Syria. In Iraq, she met freelance photographer Paul Conroy (Dornan), who would become her close friend and confidant.
In addition to showing us her experiences in places that no sane person would want to visit, Heineman takes the time to psychoanalyze Colvin. She hates bearing witness to so much suffering yet is obsessed with getting the story. She is well aware of the dangers she faces yet has no qualms about going toe to toe with Muammar Gaddafi (Raad Rawi). She longs for a family and children yet is always itching for the next adventure. Paul says that she's addicted (which would make sense, given her obvious alcoholism and chain smoking), but her response is simply "I see it, so you don't have to).
The problem with this is obvious: there simply not enough time in a two hour movie to give any of these characters and ideas their due. The people she meets, including someone whose death is intended to provoke a strong reaction but it barely registers, are so sketchily developed that it's hard to care about anyone. Her relationship with Paul is half-baked. It's never explained why he is always with her (although he and Pike have a nice, understated platonic chemistry). Even Marie herself is thinly drawn. Marie never becomes a complete person.
The acting is a high point of the film. Rosamund Pike undergoes a complete transformation in voice and appearance to play Colvin. It's hard to imagine that this is the same actress who played a Bond girl and Amy Dunne in the overrated "Gone Girl." There's a brief interview with the real Colvin at the end, and her performance is uncanny. Jamie Dornan, taking a break from playing Christian Grey, is also quite effective. His performance shows that he's more than a flash-in-the-pan actor. Tom Hollander also appears in a role that, for once, isn't the slightest bit sleazy. He's quite good as Marie's paternal editor, although the two share a scene that is so bad that it should never have seen the light of day. Stanley Tucci turns up for what ultimately turns out to be a thankless role.
Maybe there was a longer movie initially that gave its characters the chance to breathe, but someone on the money level gutted it. It would certainly explain the super awkward transitions, which are unacceptably confusing. Or secondary characters that feel like they should add more to the story than they actually do. If you're going to excise a substantial portion of your movie, you should find a creative editor to make it seem less jarring. Some sequences even cross cut between three different times (and are occasionally fantasy). And the girl with the slit wrists is never explained.
Still, there are scenes of real power here, particularly the final act which covers Colvin's coverage of the opening of the Syrian Civil War. Hineman hides nothing from the camera, including parents watching their child die to mothers who are unable to feed their infants anything but sugar and water. It's tough stuff, but because of the choices the director makes, their impact is muted.
If nothing else, "A Private War" highlights the importance of journalists like Colvin and Conroy. We always have a right to know the truth about our world, and reporters with guts and drive should be admired. Especially now when our leader calls them the "enemy of the people" when they dare criticize him. This movie shows us that the truth is always important, no matter how much it hurts.
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