With George Herbert Walker Bush prepared to strike Iraqi forces, CNN was in a unique position to deliver 24 hour coverage. Producers Robert Wiener (Michael Keaton) and Igrid Formanek (Helena Bonham Carter) capitalised on this opportunity by offering unflinching reporting that risked their lives as they became correspondents .. Read more
| Starring | Michael Keaton, Helena Bonham-Carter, Joshua Leonard, Lili Taylor |
|---|---|
| Director | Mick Jackson |
| Genres | Drama |
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With George Herbert Walker Bush prepared to strike Iraqi forces, CNN was in a unique position to deliver 24 hour coverage. Producers Robert Wiener (Michael Keaton) and Igrid Formanek (Helena Bonham Carter) capitalised on this opportunity by offering unflinching reporting that risked their lives as they became correspondents from Baghdad just before the first US Gulf War. Based on a true story that changed television journalism, this powerful HBO feature won Mick Jackson a Director's Guild Award for his work.
| Starring | Michael Keaton, Helena Bonham-Carter, Joshua Leonard, Lili Taylor, Michael Cudlitz, David Suchet |
|---|---|
| Director | Mick Jackson |
| Studio | WARNER HOME VIDEO |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 48 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 05 Apr 2004 Production year: 2002 |
| Format | DVD |
"...LIVE FROM BAGHDAD constitutes another first-class production from HBO..."
I know that when dealing with 'true stories' that artistic licence must be taken but surely that assumes that in laying the truth aside that there is a kernel, however small, of art to be licensed in the first place. Assume wrong.
This film has cartoon characterisations, unreal relationships, dialogue so inept it makes Trappism higly attractive.
The most galling thing is that there is a way more interesting story begging to be let out and for some reason the directors, producers and the writers do their level best to avoid it. You can almost hear them say. 'Oh that's a really interesting element. How can we make it look and sound as bland and trite as possible.' For films like these they should have a category in the Oscars for dumbest adaptation.
It makes the poor CNN folks look like a bunch of macho dullards and does a huge disservice to the journalists who risk their lives (and sometimes lose them) working in these unfavourable circumstances.
This film has nothing to say about what it is really like to cover a story from 'behind the lines' and wastes both the talents of the performers and the viewers time.
Keaton, as usual, on good form. A worthwhile watch...not especially memorable, but a well-executed piece of work.