| A Private War | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Matthew Heineman |
| Written by | Arash Amel |
| Based on | "Marie Colvin's Private War" byMarie Brenner |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Robert Richardson |
| Edited by | Nick Fenton |
| Music by | H. Scott Salinas |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Aviron Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 110 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $18.8 million[1] |
| Box office | $3.9 million[2] |
A Private War is a 2018 Americanbiographicalwardrama film directed byMatthew Heineman, and starringRosamund Pike as journalistMarie Colvin.[3] The film is based on the 2012 article "Marie Colvin’s Private War" inVanity Fair byMarie Brenner.[4][5][6] The film was written byArash Amel and featuresJamie Dornan,Tom Hollander andStanley Tucci.[7]
The film premiered at the2018 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.[8] At the76th Golden Globe Awards, the film earned nominations forBest Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama (Pike) andBest Original Song ("Requiem for A Private War"), while director Matthew Heineman received a nomination forOutstanding Directorial Achievement of a First Time Feature Film Director from theDirectors Guild of America.
Marie Colvin is an American journalist forThe Sunday Times, visiting the most dangerous countries and documenting their civil wars.
In 2001, while trekking with theTamil Tigers, Colvin and her crew are ambushed by theSri Lanka Army. Despite her attempt to surrender, anRPG fires in her direction, wounding her to the point that she loses her left eye. Afterward, Colvin decides to wear aneyepatch.
Diagnosed withPTSD, 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 meetswar photographerPaul 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 ofHoms, 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 film 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."[9]
The film was produced inJordan andLondon,[10][11] and was shot byRobert Richardson.[12] It features an original song byAnnie Lennox, entitled "Requiem for A Private War".[13]
In February 2018,Aviron Pictures acquired distribution rights to the film.[14] The film had its world premiere at the2018 Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2018,[15] and had its European premiere at the Mayor's Gala in theBFI London Film Festival.[16] It also screened at theMill Valley Film Festival,Hamptons International Film Festival, and theWoodstock Film Festival.[17][18][19] The film was released on November 2, 2018, inlimited release, before expanding nationwide on November 16, 2018.[20]A Private War was released in the UK and Ireland on 15 February 2019.[21]
OnRotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 87%, based on 147 reviews, and the average score is 7.1/10. 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."[22] On review aggregatorMetacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 75 out of 100 based on 32 critics.[23]
Peter Debruge ofVariety called it "an incredibly sophisticated, psychologically immersive" film.[24]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama | Rosamund Pike | Nominated | [25] |
| Best Original Song | "Requiem for A Private War" byAnnie Lennox | Nominated | |||
| Satellite Awards | Best Independent Film | A Private War | Nominated | [26] | |
| 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 | [27] |
| Producer |
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| Related articles | |
