A Private War

It is her film. Maybe, in few parts , more than Marie Colvin's. The role is generous, the story is well made and the message becomes clear. A film not about wars but about truth and cold idealism and passion and obsession of a war reporter . Realistic, interesting, subjective, off course. Short - just a good movie. And a beautiful demonstration of her artistic skills of Rosamund Pike.

"A Private War" is a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, the "action" scenes are gripping, edge-of-the seat stuff. The theme of 'brave war reporting' is something of interest to me ever since seeing Damien Parer's WWII work. The importance of war correspondents is definitely highlighted here.

On the other hand, the whole thing just felt quite clunky and disjointed. I didn't really learn a whole lot about the conflicts Marie Colvin was reporting on. There was often context missing to scenes and this lead to a little confusion or waning interest on my behalf. Rosamund Pike delivers a strong performance though and it was enough to draw me back in.

There was also just a whole lot of stupidity going on. Sorry, but when one of Marie's colleagues said in the film: "You've got an amazing nose for a story. But you don't have a military brain" - I couldn't help but agree wholeheartedly. It was a frustrating watch at times.

It was a serviceable film though and there's enough here to hold any journalism students' attention. It's important to have journalists of Marie's calbire in our world today.

Greetings again from the darkness. Marie Colvin was a (seemingly) fearless war correspondent obsessed with giving a voice to those forgotten during war. Were she alive today, she could not have hand-picked a better filmmaker than Matthew Heineman to tell her story. Director Heineman was Oscar nominated for CARTEL LAND (2014) and, combined with his CITY OF GHOSTS (2017), gives him two of the best ever documentaries that show what the front lines are like in both international wars and the equally dangerous wars being fought over drug territories. Heineman has carried his own camera directly into the center of those storms, while Ms. Colvin took her pen and pad. Simpatico.

Based on Marie Brenner's Vanity Fair article "Marie Colvin's Private War" (screenplay by Arash Amel), the film benefits from the extraordinary and courageous work of Ms. Colvin, and also a terrific performance from Rosamund Pike (words I've not previously written). Ms. Pike captures the extremes of Ms. Colvin's life - the atrocities of war and the self-prescribed treatment of her PTSD through vodka, and does so in a manner that always seems believable. She lets us in to a world most of us can't imagine.

As a war correspondent for Britain's Sunday Times (since 1986), Ms. Colvin told the stories we'd rather not know. In her words, "I saw it, so you don't have to." The film begins with a stunning overhead view of 2012 war-ravaged Homs Syria (destruction courtesy of Assad's soldiers) - a place that starts the film and later ends the story. We then flash back to 2001 London so we can witness Marie in society and struggling with a personal relationship. She then chooses, against her editor's (Tom Hollander) guidance to cover Sri Lanka. It's a decision that cost her an eye, while also providing her recognition as the eye-patch wearing female war reporter.

In 2003, a tip takes her to a previously undiscovered mass grave site in Fallujah. This is her first work alongside photographer Paul Conroy (played by Jamie Dornan). Having "seen more war than most soldiers", Ms. Colvin's severe alcoholism can't kill the nightmares, visions, and PTSD. After time in a clinic, she returns to work. We see her in 2009 Afghanistan and then pulling no punches when interviewing Libya's Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. During these assignments, we learn much about Ms. Colvin's personality and approach. She is rarely without a cigarette, admits to wearing Le Perla lingerie (and why), carries Martha Gellhorn's "The Face of War" as her field manual, and wins two British Foreign Journalist of the Year awards - though seeing her at the banquets is quite surreal.

Hollander's subtle performance as news editor Sean Ryan is also quite impressive. He fears for her safety (and even questions her sanity) but is in constant conflict with the need to sell newspapers - something Ms. Colvin's stories certainly did. Stanley Tucci has a role as Tony Shaw, her love interest, but despite her words, we never believe he and his sailboat are ever more than a distraction from her obsession with the front lines. The final sequence in 2012 Homs Syria is stunning, as is her final interview with Anderson Cooper on CNN.

Ms. Pike has altered her voice to mimic the deeper tone of Marie Colvin - her efforts confirmed in the final interview played at the film's end. It's quite a career boost for Ms. Pike, who has previously been known for playing ice queens in films like GONE GIRL. She captures the traumatized Marie, but also the obsession of someone whose DNA constantly drove her back to the stories that needed to be told.

Director Heineman's unique perspective combined with the cinematography of 3 time Oscar winner Robert Richardson (a favorite of Scorcese, Tarantino, and Oliver Stone) delivers a realism of war that we rarely see on screen. Mr. Richardson also shot SALVADOR (1986) and PLATOON (1986) and his work here surpasses both. The film gives us a glimpse at the psychological effects of such reporting, and a feel for the constant stress of being surrounded by tragedy and danger. This is fitting tribute to a courageous and very skilled woman, although I do wish the men weren't constantly helping her out of trucks and jeeps.

Marie Colvin was a truly courageous and inspirational person, one of the most courageous and inspirational people of her time perhaps, with a story that should be known and told more. It's one that resonated with me reading of it and despite not going through anywhere near as much as Colvin did (despite having a lifelong rough time myself) it was very easy to relate to her and root for her cause all the way. The trailer also looked great and Rosamund Pike has impressed me a number of times previous.

Despite 'A Private War' being critically well received and Pike's performance being pretty much universally acclaimed, when finally released in my country it was criminally and shamefully underseen with hardly any advertising and a limited cinema release (the few cinemas that did show it had screenings at inaccessible times). Much more than this incredible woman and her story deserved and for the film to get this treatment is an injustice. Finally seeing it a few days ago, it was well worth the wait because while not perfect 'A Private War' was a powerful experience. Actually felt it treated Colvin and her story with respect and subjectively feel that some of the criticisms it's garnered here are unfair and over-the-top to the point of disrespect.

'A Private War' is not perfect. There are time jumps back and forth that can feel rather jumpy and rushed, so it's a little disjointed at times.

Stanley Tucci is far too underused in a very underwritten part, Tucci plays it well and gives it a good bash but it is hard to do more with limited screen time, a sketchily developed character and some of the film's more clunky dialogue.

However, 'A Private War' has a lot working in its favour. The production values are both beautiful and grittily unforgiving, with editing that really adds to the increasingly hard-hitting authenticity and a striking wide variety of camera shots that don't give the impression of being too clever or showing off, instead doing what the editing excels in. Matthew Heinemann directs with enough momentum and breathing space with no visual self-indulgence at the same time, especially good in the latter stages. The music is used in the appropriate places, recorded without being too loud and has the right amount of unsettlement. Am surprised that hardly anybody has mentioned Annie Lennox's Golden Globe-nominated original song "Requiem for a Private War", truly haunting stuff.

Other than some melodramatic moments, the script is thought-probing and poignant and one feels constant admiration for Colvin. While the back and forth structure was flawed, the story still continued to grip and the film does deserve credit for not trivialising the subject. It actually pulls no punches and is not an easy watch (both her bleak personal life and the job), doing so in a harrowing way and it had me emotionally drained by the end, more so than most films seen recently. Did not feel 'A Private War' glorified Colvin or villified anybody else, and thought a difficult story was treated with respect.

Have a lot of praise for the cast too. Jamie Dornan shows that in the right role with good writing he can be good, a very deeply felt performance, while Tom Hollander is also very good. 'A Private War' though belongs to Pike, who is absolutely exceptional as Colvin, one of the best of the year in my view, and it is a mystery that she didn't get more awards attention. Giving a lead performance as fearless and intensely committed as Colvin herself, doing it while disappearing into the role and becoming her and not being an impersonation, have always liked her a lot but her performance is is on the same level as her unforgettable turn in 'Gone Girl' in its own way.

In conclusion, very well done film though a hard watch. To be seen mainly for Pike. 8/10

This is not an action film or one that glorifies war. I don't understand a lot of reviews, and with all do respect a lot of you missed the point. It is not a political film either. It is the story of a women who joined the frontlines of major wars and battles from the late 80s until her demise. It is a human story of Marie , and the PTSD she later struggled with by seeing the horrors as well as being blown up herself. It is a character driven film. It does a fine job at giving a voice to the voiceless. Showing not the fighting, but the human interactions of oppressed people during major war time. This was very good, and Rosemund Pike shines with the rest of the cast in telling this deeply moving story of a true renegade women who decided to go and see for herself and report back the true horrors of warfare and it's toll on the human beings involved. The collateral damage if you will. Very good watch , see for yourself. Don't listen to these reviewers who missed the point or possibly didn't even watch the film.