A Private War (2018)

Review

110min

Genre:       Fact-based, Drama, War

Director:    Matthew Heineman

Cast:         Rosamund Pike, Jamie Dornan, Tom Hollander…and more

Writers:     Marie Brenner and Arash Amel

-Synopsis-

A cinematic ode to journalists and the sacrifices they make through the prism of award-winning ‘The Sunday Times’ war correspondent Marie Colvin’s career, chronicling her struggle to shine a light on the true costs of global conflict, and the personal price she paid for it, all the way to her death covering the horrific and intractable Syrian civil war in 2012.

With the world in political turmoil and journalism under fire from a resurgence in populism, autocratic rule and the spread of ‘fake news’ putting journalists like Jamal Khashoggi on the front line—not to mention the global mainstream media compounding their own problems with years of questionable practices and the abandonment of impartiality—there could hardly be a more timely biopic than the extraordinary but sombre story of Marie Colvin.

Yet far from crafting a judicious but sterile journalistic drama, documentarian Matthew Heineman in his first feature film teams up with screenwriter Arash Amel to adapt Marie Brenner’s Vanity Fair article, managing to keep the all-important truth in the heart and hold the powerful to account while weaving together a powerful, soul-scarring human drama which shines a light on the true victims of conflict, and the troubled woman who risked it all to tell their story—reminding us all what true journalism looks like.

Rosamund Pike stars as the fearless London-based American journalist Colvin herself, a heavy-drinking, chain-smoking, award-winning foreign affairs correspondent for British rag ‘The Sunday Times’, a tough determined personality with few attachments and undiagnosed PTSD, who spends her time reporting on often overlooked conflicts like East Timor and the Sri Lankan civil war—much to the concern of her editor Sean Ryan (Tom Hollander). But when the 2011 ‘Arab Spring’ turns sour and conflict in Syria becomes a full blown civil war, Colvin teams up with photographer Paul Conroy (Jamie Dornan) for her most dangerous and final assignment—exposing the inhumane and illegal tactics of the Assad regime . . . which she would experience first-hand.

Heineman’s first foray into feature filmmaking is truly an unmitigated success, combining the journalistic boldness, honesty and sobriety of his documentary work in films like ‘Cartel Land’ and ‘City of Ghosts’, with elevated levels of empathy and humanity, adding a dose of righteous anger from those of us unable to directly affect change, but who can live vicariously through those who bear witness to callousness and injustice on a mass scale.

‘A Private War’ is an impressively crafted and beautifully shot debut, with legendary cinematographer Robert Richardson (Platoon, The Hateful Eight) capturing everything in un-stylised fashion and often with fading natural light, beautifully rendering the barren and war-scarred landscapes of the middle east, with Jordan doubling for Iraq and Syria. The visuals become particularly poignant with the striking shots of the ruined city of Homs, once Syria’s third city and industrial centre with an ancient history. The sound design and the terrifying tones of war are equally striking, often perforated by eerie silences of reflection, complemented by an evocative score from the director’s regular composer H. Scott Salinas, and a haunting original song from Annie Lennox.

Rosamund Pike leads the line superbly as Colvin, fearlessly and poignantly painting a portrait of a complex and stoic persona with emotional issues, bearing both the physical and psychological scars of her profession and driven as much by obsession and an addiction to what she does, as she is by the need to expose the truth at any cost and give the powerless a voice—a performance deserving at least as much recognition this award season as those who have been consistently nominated.

She’s admirably supported by the always dependable Tom Hollander as her conscientious but bureaucratic editor, and Stanley Tucci as her wealthy on/off lover—but most importantly Jamie Dornan as intrepid photographer and her combat companion Paul Conroy, an ex-soldier dealing with his own trauma, and with whom she shared her final moments.

Yet ‘A Private War’ is most effective when the focus is on precisely what Colvin herself would have wanted—the victims of war. As much as the film succeeds in drawing you into the life of the intrepid reporter and making you care, it’s at its most powerful and poignant when it holds on the haunted faces of the men, women and children whose lives war tends to at best pervert, and at worst completely destroy—searing them into your memory.

While this straight down the line journalistic drama and biographical piece may not reinvent the sub-genre or scream particularly loudly for attention, it features strong enough performances, is well crafted enough, and most importantly blessed with more than enough of a gripping story and fascinating subject to captivate you throughout . . . and perhaps even move you. Confronting the audience with some truly uncomfortable truths, while maybe even ripping us away from reality television and celebrity obsession for long enough to catch a troubling glimpse of what’s really going on in the world.

The Bottom Line…

A poignant chronicle of a fearless reporter, an ode to honest, truth-seeking intrepid journalism, and a powerful testament to the victims of armed conflict, ‘A Private War’ is an impressive transition from documentary to feature filmmaking for promising director Matthew Heineman, who skilfully pries our eyes open to the horrors of the world, while giving us a much-needed reminder of what real journalism looks like.

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