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A Private War is a 2018 American biographical war drama film directed by Matthew Heineman, and starring Rosamund Pike as journalist Marie Colvin.[1] The film is based on the 2012 article "Marie Colvin’s Private War" in Vanity Fair by Marie Brenner.[2][3][4] The film was written by Arash Amel and features Jamie Dornan, Tom Hollander and Stanley Tucci.[5]

The film premiered at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival and was released in the United States on November 2, 2018. It received positive reviews from critics, who praised Pike's performance.[6] At the 76th Golden Globe Awards, the film earned nominations for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama (Pike) and Best Original Song ("Requiem for A Private War"), while director Matthew Heineman received a nomination for Outstanding Directorial Achievement of a First Time Feature Film Director from the Directors Guild of America.

Plot[]

Marie Colvin is an American journalist for The Sunday Times, visiting the most dangerous countries and documenting their civil wars.

In 2001, while trekking with the Tamil Tigers, Colvin and her crew are ambushed by the Sri Lankan Army. Despite her attempt to surrender, an RPG fires in her direction, wounding her to the point that she loses her left eye. Afterward, Colvin decides to wear an eyepatch.

Diagnosed with PTSD, Colvin is still determined to look for new stories, and argues with her boss, Sean Ryan, about conflicts she wants to cover, including Iraq, where she meets war photographer Paul Conroy, and Libya. She lives in London when not traveling the world, and begins a relationship with Tony Shaw (Stanley Tucci).

In February 2012, Conroy and Colvin decide to cover the conflict in the city of Homs, where they find 28,000 Syrian men, women, and children caught in the crossfire. After Conroy and Colvin send their story to Ryan, Colvin decides to broadcast to CNN to bring awareness to civilian casualties. As Marie, Paul, and another reporter, Rémi Ochlik, flee the building they had used as a media centre, the street is peppered with explosions. Paul, injured and shellshocked, wakes to find Colvin and Ochlik killed from the explosions and subsequent pile-up of rubble.

The movie ends with imagery of the devastated city of Homs, followed by an interview of the real Marie Colvin, with the quote: "You're never going to get to where you're going if you acknowledge fear."[7]

Cast[]

  • Rosamund Pike as Marie Colvin
  • Jamie Dornan as Paul Conroy
  • Tom Hollander as Sean Ryan, The Sunday Times' foreign editor and Marie's boss
  • Nikki Amuka-Bird as Rita Williams, Marie's friend
  • Faye Marsay as Kate Richardson
  • Greg Wise as Professor David Irens
  • Corey Johnson as Norm Coburn, another photographer
  • Stanley Tucci as Tony Shaw
  • Fady Elsayed as Mourad

Production[]

The film was produced in Jordan and London,[8][9] and was shot by Robert Richardson.[10] It features an original song by Annie Lennox, entitled "Requiem for A Private War".[11]

Release[]

In February 2018, Aviron Pictures acquired distribution rights to the film.[12] The film had its world premiere at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2018,[13] and had its European premiere at the Mayor's Gala in the BFI London Film Festival.[14] It also screened at the Mill Valley Film Festival, Hamptons International Film Festival, and the Woodstock Film Festival.[15][16][17] The film was released on November 2, 2018, in limited release, before expanding nationwide on November 16, 2018.[18] A Private War was released in the UK and Ireland on 15 February 2019.[19]

Reception[]

Critical response[]

On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of Script error: No such module "Rotten Tomatoes data"., based on Script error: No such module "Rotten Tomatoes data". reviews, and the average score is Script error: No such module "Rotten Tomatoes data".. The website's critical consensus reads: "A Private War honors its real-life subject with a sober appraisal of the sacrifices required of journalists on the front lines—and career-best work by Rosamund Pike."[20] On review aggregator Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 75 out of 100 based on 32 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[21]

Peter Debruge of Variety called it "an incredibly sophisticated, psychologically immersive" film.[22]

Accolades[]

Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2018 Golden Globe Awards Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama Rosamund Pike Nominated [23]
Best Original Song "Requiem for A Private War" by Annie Lennox Nominated
Satellite Awards Best Independent Film A Private War Nominated [24]
Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama Rosamund Pike Nominated
Best Original Song "Requiem for A Private War" by Annie Lennox Nominated
Directors Guild of America Awards Outstanding Directing – First-Time Feature Film Matthew Heineman Nominated [25]

References[]

  1. Carey, Matthew (December 22, 2017). "Director Matthew Heineman On His Oscar-Shortlisted Doc 'City Of Ghosts': "The Hardest Film I've Made By Far"". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  2. Galuppo, Mia (November 21, 2017). "Tom Hollander Joins Rosamund Pike in 'A Private War'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  3. N'Duka, Amanda (November 21, 2017). "Tom Hollander Enlists In 'A Private War'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  4. Mudano, Mike (January 18, 2018). "Stanley Tucci Joins Rosamund Pike in Forthcoming Biopic A Private War". Paste. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  5. Lang, Brent (February 2, 2018). "Aviron Buys 'Serenity' With Matthew McConaughey, 'A Private War' With Rosamund Pike (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  6. Fujitani, Ryan (November 21, 2018). Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald Could Use a Bit More Magic. Rotten Tomatoes.
  7. 'A Private War' Celebrates The Courage Of Journalist Marie Colvin (in en).
  8. Clarke, Stewart (January 18, 2018). "Stanley Tucci Joins Rosamund Pike, Jamie Dornan in 'A Private War' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  9. Sommers, Kat (January 2018). Stanley Tucci Joins Rosamund Pike, Tom Hollander and Jamie Dornan for 'A Private War'. BBC America.
  10. Tartaglione, Nancy (November 14, 2017). "Oscar-Winning DP Robert Richardson To Lens 'A Private War' With Rosamund Pike". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  11. Ramos, Dino-Ray. "Annie Lennox Writes And Performs Original Song For 'A Private War' – Toronto", Deadline, 2018-09-12. (in en-US) 
  12. Lang, Brent (February 2, 2018). Aviron Buys Serenity With Matthew McConaughey, A Private War With Rosamund Pike.
  13. A Private War (in en).
  14. "62nd BFI London Film Festival programme announced", British Film Institute. (in en) 
  15. McNary, Dave (August 22, 2018). Rosamund Pike's 'A Private War' to Open Mill Valley Film Festival.
  16. Hamptons International Film Festival : A PRIVATE WAR (in en-US).
  17. Matthew Heineman's A PRIVATE WAR to Close 2018 Woodstock Film Festival (August 24, 2018).
  18. McNary, Dave (May 8, 2018). Rosamund Pike's 'A Private War' Gets Awards-Season November Release.
  19. "Marie Colvin: a woman drawn to conflict in A Private War", January 29, 2019. 
  20. A Private War (2018). Fandango.
  21. A Private War reviews.
  22. Debruge, Peter. "Film Review: 'A Private War'", Variety, 2018-09-30. (in en-US) 
  23. Golden Globe Awards 2019 Winners: The Complete List. E! News (January 6, 2019).
  24. 2018 Nominees. International Press Academy (November 29, 2018). Archived from the original on November 29, 2018.
  25. Directors Guild Nominees Include Bradley Cooper, Alfonso Cuarón (January 8, 2019).

External links[]

Template:Matthew Heineman Links to authority control.

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