Marie Colvin's rather extraordinary life is the latest to undergo the biopic treatment and the outcome is Matthew Heineman's A Private War: a harrowing, sobering and powerful, if sometimes awkward, retelling, elevated by a gutsy, ferociously compelling lead performance from Rosamund Pike.
A Private War documents the final years of Marie Colvin, who covered some of the deadliest wars specialising in the Middle East as a foreign affairs correspondent. Despite the increased risk to her life and losing her sight in her left eye following a grenade blast, Colvin continued to work tirelessly to shine a light on "humanity in extremes, pushed to the unendurable", until the fatal siege of Homs in Syria that took her life. Based upon the Vanity Fair article "Marie Colvin's Private War" by Marie Brenner, Heineman's film arrives at a moment of crucial importance, as the work of journalists is being threatened by those in a position of power.
Without question, the strength of A Private War lies with Rosamund Pike's frightfully brilliant performance. Fully embodying Colvin in this commanding examination of her life, Pike nails her spirit, mannerism and voice, all captured note perfectly in a turn that oozes anguish, brilliantly illustrating the impacts her career has had on both her psyche and personal life. So extraordinarily textured, it is a mightily impressive performance that deserves to be leading any Best Actress conversation; that she isn't, and probably won't get a look in, is nothing short of a travesty. To anyone foolish enough to still have reservations, Pike proves that she is one of Britain's very, very finest and this should go down as one of her superlative turns.
There's an array of solid supporting performances rallying around her but no one comes close to matching the magnetism of that central turn. Jamie Dornan continues to attempt to shed his 50 Shades image and, wobbly accent aside, he mainly succeeds by proving that he can handle these dramatic roles effectively. Stanley Tucci is undeniable charming once more and Tom Hollander is reliably great, strengthening Pike's work.
It's not difficult to imagine A Private War falling apart without the immense dramatic palpation of that lead performance. Screenwriter Arash Amel perhaps oversimplifies the events in Colvin's life, measured by major conflicts and milestones that distil her career down to snapshots; perhaps that comes from the source material - an article is nowhere near as thorough as a biography or memoir - but it never escapes the inevitability of the story, undercutting some of the tension. Still, it does well to sharply paint a portrait of the self-imposed risk and subsequent post-traumatic stress disorder Colvin suffered as a result of her career choice, tapping into her addictive, self-destructive streak astutely and profoundly. Amel's script is stronger in building the character rather than the events that shaped her, but it is a textured tapestry nonetheless.
No doubt thanks to his documentary background, Heineman illuminates the harsh, horrifying environment and the personal consequence of war impressively; politics serves as a backdrop to the film but it never drives the picture, enhancing our understanding but ensuring that the human impacts come above all else. It never shies away from the danger of war but understands that it doesn't need to be shown explicitly to be felt; the film crafts a fine soundscape and visual language in which every bullet and every explosion registers as another casualty of the regime, another life lost and another family torn apart. Tight pacing, sharp editing and striking cinematography are bolstered by stellar if understated work from composer H. Scott Salinas, a combination of excellent craft across the board.
A Private War is well-constructed but it selflessly never seeks to detract from the incredible woman at the film's centre and the powerhouse performance from Rosamund Pike that honours Marie Colvin's memory; this truly is on a par with Pike's exemplary work in Gone Girl and she faultlessly captures Colvin's spirit and physicality. At a time when the press is required more than ever, A Private War arrives at an important moment in our history, with Colvin's life and career becoming an ode to the fight to speak the truth. Heineman's admiration towards the subject matter is felt across the film and despite a couple of missteps and rougher patches in the screenplay's execution, it has stayed with me, more than leaving its mark. This is powerful and poignant and urgent filmmaking. Please seek it out.
Summary: Rosamund Pike's tour-de-force performance - easily one of the year's very best - powers A Private War's true-life story to greatness, resulting in a timely, compelling film that honours the courageous woman at its heart and speaks of the importance in the work of the world's journalists at a time when it is threatened.
No doubt thanks to his documentary background, Heineman illuminates the harsh, horrifying environment and the personal consequence of war impressively; politics serves as a backdrop to the film but it never drives the picture, enhancing our understanding but ensuring that the human impacts come above all else. It never shies away from the danger of war but understands that it doesn't need to be shown explicitly to be felt; the film crafts a fine soundscape and visual language in which every bullet and every explosion registers as another casualty of the regime, another life lost and another family torn apart. Tight pacing, sharp editing and striking cinematography are bolstered by stellar if understated work from composer H. Scott Salinas, a combination of excellent craft across the board.
A Private War is well-constructed but it selflessly never seeks to detract from the incredible woman at the film's centre and the powerhouse performance from Rosamund Pike that honours Marie Colvin's memory; this truly is on a par with Pike's exemplary work in Gone Girl and she faultlessly captures Colvin's spirit and physicality. At a time when the press is required more than ever, A Private War arrives at an important moment in our history, with Colvin's life and career becoming an ode to the fight to speak the truth. Heineman's admiration towards the subject matter is felt across the film and despite a couple of missteps and rougher patches in the screenplay's execution, it has stayed with me, more than leaving its mark. This is powerful and poignant and urgent filmmaking. Please seek it out.
Summary: Rosamund Pike's tour-de-force performance - easily one of the year's very best - powers A Private War's true-life story to greatness, resulting in a timely, compelling film that honours the courageous woman at its heart and speaks of the importance in the work of the world's journalists at a time when it is threatened.