A Private War

American journalist Marie Colvin (1956-2012) was one of the world's most famous war correspondents. For decades, she reported from crisis zones in Sri Lanka, Iraq, Libya, and most recently Syria. She reported for the Sunday Times from crisis zones such as Kosovo and Lebanon, and was on the ground during the First Gulf War and in East Timor. She lost her left eye in an attack in Sri Lanka in 2001 and wore an eye patch ever since, which became her trademark. Marie Colvin risks her life on the battlefronts to show the world the ugly face of war. Even the attack on her life in Sri Lanka, which left her seriously injured, did not stop her from continuing to report on the fates of the people. Between a life of luxury and war, her last assignment with renowned war photographer Paul Conroy took her to the most dangerous place in the world: the besieged Syrian city of Homs... Marie Colvin conducted interviews with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi, among others, and wrote moving articles about the suffering of civilians in war-torn areas. When she was killed in Homs on February 22, 2012, there was an outcry in the English-language media. Just hours earlier, she had given interviews to CNN, Channel 4, and the BBC about the situation in the Baba Amr district and accused Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of massacring civilians. “The multi-layered film, brilliantly acted in the lead role, highlights Colvin's inner turmoil as she suffers from the turmoil of war but cannot help but make public the fate of those affected.” (Lexikon des Internationalen Films) "In fact, many of the extras are refugees from Syria. They help to make the film even more authentic. Many of the emotions seen in the film reflect similar experiences of the people involved. This circumstance also had an impact on the performance of Rosamund Pike (‘Gone Girl’), who plays Marie Colvin. She herself said that at times it was difficult for her to immediately summon up the appropriate emotions. And when she came to scenes in which the supporting actors were reliving their memories, she wasn't sure if she could do them justice and come across as equally genuine. (...) (Nevertheless, it is) nice to see that Rosemund Pike manages to give Marie the necessary facets so that the viewer can empathize with her, get to know her better as a person, and not just see her determined, strong side. She has succeeded very well in portraying the journalist here. Also noteworthy here is Jamie Dornan (‘Fifty Shades of Grey’) as Paul Conroy. The two harmonize very well and are absolutely credible together." (Madeleine Eger, on: film-rezensionen.de)