Monday, January 19, 2009

A Mighty Heart

Do you remember that song "Video killed the Radio star"?
hm.. maybe you're not that old.
Aaaanyways.
I think Tabloid Killed the Movie Star.

So I watched A Mighty Heart yesterday.
It is actually a very powerful story about the kidnapping of Daniel Pearl in Pakistan. But I had trouble suspending my belief for a few moments and feeling sympathy for his wife because I kept thinking about her frolicking around in a trishaw with Brad Pitt.
I managed to do that only at 2 points in the movie -
When she sms-ed "I love you" to him, in the middle of the night, even though she doesnt know if he'll get it.
When she screamed in grief after receiving the news (I had to actually mute my TV because it was too excrutiatingly painful to hear)
I cried both times.

I dont know, if it were not Angelina Jolie, I think I could've absorbed the movie better, but if it were not Angelina Jolie, would this movie get as much attention/promotion as it did?

I think this is why I like actors like Christian Bale and (uhm.. I'm trying to think of an actress that I like that is not over-exposed in the tabloids...) .. Selma Blair. You don't know what's going on with them in real life, so when they play a character on screen, they become believable as that character on screen. When they kiss their on-screen partner, you dont think about their off-screen partner being jealous.
Think about those years when tabloids barely existed. We believed Rock Hudson really loved Doris Day. We believed Cary Grant really loved Audrey Hepburn. We believed James Dean was really a rebel without a cause. We believed John Travolta was a struggling dancer or a teenager with an identity crisis. We believed C. Thomas Howell had big brothers as good looking as Patrick Swayze and Rob Lowe.
Now with the onslaught of too much information (on paper, on TV, on-line) about actors off-screen, it is becoming quite difficult to believe them when they are on-screen.

Anyways.
I liked A Mighty Heart. It is a good movie. I would buy and read the book if I have the chance, but I dont know if my heart is mighty enough to endure what she's gone through, even through empathy.

14 comments:

  1. I've to agree with you on that; so many actress couldn't manage to erase their tabloid life not because they were not good but because their tabloid life way to much believable.

    I think Julia Robert's Erin Brokovich was believable in a way; but for Angelina Jolie in A Mighty Heart, I kept imaging Brad Pitt will knock on her door. I think same with Nicole Kidman's Ada in Cold Mountain - she's way to pretty to be poor and no money.

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  2. Anonymous11:06 AM

    Urgh...

    You made me want to watch The Outsiders again...

    gotta go and look for the song!

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  3. Anonymous1:02 PM

    I have "A Mighty Heart" on DVD.
    Nice movie.

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  4. Komen Pak Malim kucing ray yg alim.

    "Video killed the radio star, video killed the radio star"....Pak Malim menyanyi sambil menggeletar. Dah lama saya tak dengar lagu tu, kata Pak Malim sambil menggaru kutu.

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  5. Hisham,
    My sentiments exactly.
    Maybe that's why animated films are such a rage nowadays.. we dont have to worry about seeing Melman in a bikini thong.

    Firhad,
    Happy Birthday, dude!!

    Papa,
    It is a great story.

    PakMalim,
    kita suka part "Ow-wah, ow-wah" tu, kata elisa sambil makan putu.

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  6. Anonymous12:01 AM

    I agree completely which is why I stay away from tabloids, gossip shows (and blogs) and am grateful I am not famous. I could not imagine living in that kind of fishbowl where your every move is completely scrutinized.
    And I loved that song btw. Did you know it was the first video played on MTV?
    I'm a trivia geek :)
    And thank you my dear friend for your latest comment and I love you too.XO

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  7. i'll guess i'll just have to wait on HBO to watch it. never stay home without HBO..ahaks!

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  8. wanted to get the DVD, tapi takut sedih sangat.

    now, CONFIRM tak nak tengok, sebab dah tahu sedih sangat.

    Elisa certainly killed the movie star. ngeeeee

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  9. Elisa,
    Sedih ke? Alaa.. penat la nak nangis.. But Brad Pitt, kan... then I'm watching!

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  10. ben,
    No, I did not know that that song was the first video played on MTV :)
    how apt :)

    Alin,
    ala... tapi you dah tahu ending dia, so takdelah sedih terkejut. You are sorta perpared for it.
    Tengoklah tengok lah.

    Shaz,
    eh makcik, you ni confused lah. Tak ada Brad Pitt. Ada Angelina aje. Tapi you sorta expect brad to pop out somewhere coz you know he hung around when they were filming this movie.

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  11. eh camner boleh tertinggal KC nih

    KC,
    I pun tengok on TV, bukan on DVD.
    heheheh

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  12. hak aa ek, kan i dah tau ending and part-part sedih dia. tak de la surprise sangat nanti... aiyaaa yew so crever!!

    ok la ok nanti i beli dvd dia. and a packet of tissue too, dak?

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  13. yeah betul sangat! i remember reading about dean cain and teri hatcher being bitter enemies and they squabbled all the time. after that i malas nak tengok adventures of lois and clark tu (huh minat giler citer tu dulu) sbb rasa macam dah spoil!

    i like angelina jolie but i don't think i'd like seeing her play a real person. hehehe i like the "lara croft, mrs smith, commander franky cook" her.

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