In 2002, Daniel Pearl, an American Wall Street Journal reporter in Karachi, was kidnapped by Pakistani jihadists. Throughout Pearl's captivity, his heavily pregnant wife Mariane (played here by Angelina Jolie) made eloquent appeals for his release. British director Michael Winterbottom captures the realities of the story with grim precision, staccato editing and handheld cameras, propelling us into the chaotic whirlwind around Mariane, as competing authorities attempt to negotiate her husband's release. On one level it plays as a tense, beat-the-clock thriller; except some already know the ending. On another level it's rather simplistic reportage that retreads real life, while adding little more than the presence of a Hollywood star. Winterbottom brings his customary intelligence to bear on the subject, avoiding cheap sensationalism to create a film that is undeniably moving. But its overall effect depends on how distracted one is by Jolie: her performance is technically impressive, but it may prove difficult to divorce from her celebrity persona.

Based on Mariane Pearl's account of the terrifying and unforgettable story of her husband, Wall Street Journal reporter Danny Pearl's life and death.