Heart murmur

Blink and you'll miss it: A Mighty Heart, Michael Winterbottom's fine film from Mariane Pearl's memoir, is going, going, gone, from New York area theaters. Its distributor, Paramount Vantage, clearly misread the tea leaves by releasing such a smart, somber film in summer, but exhibitors are guilty of not allowing it to become a word-of-mouth hit. We tried seeing it at the Regal Battery Park on Tuesday, right across from The Wall Street Journal's offices, but its run had been unexpectedly terminated to make way for Transformers, License to Wed (gak!), and Sicko, all of which began or expanded their runs a day or two early to capitalize on today's holiday. There was no annoucement of this online or in the papers.

So off we went to the Brooklyn Heights Cinema, where I knew it was showing, and was reasonably certain that it would still be there. But first, I called the Cobble Hill Cinema, which I thought might be showing it a little earlier. No such luck; the prime-time slot had been reassigned, and I imagine whatever run it has left there will be downgraded to the off hours (3:30, 10:30, or other times where only the hardiest cinephiles and the ticket takers will be there to see it). The Brooklyn Heights played it before a large and appreciative audience, though you'll have to hurry to see it there; it's closing tomorrow, to give Sicko, which is playing all over town, yet one more screen. (Go today or tomorrow and make it a two-fer with the other excellent film playing there, Once.)

The hassle was worth it. Winterbottom, the wide-ranging director of Welcome to Sarajevo and 24 Hour Party People, brings his documentarian's eye to the material, and Angelina Jolie gives a taut, stardust-free performance as Pearl, whose husband, Daniel, was slain in Pakistan while investigating terrorist links to would-be shoe bomber Richard Reid. It's a dry-eyed, unsentimental, yet moving film, one that most viewers will encounter on DVD.

Postscript: Or, maybe you'll still have time. Good luck, but it all hinges on exhibitors holding onto it, and audiences seeking it out.