A Private War

While Rosamund Pike delivers an unbeatable portrayal of Colvin, the film itself fails to say anything new about addiction or the demons she battles.

Poor, gifted Rosamund Pike is persuaded to play the American-born Sunday Times journo at full throttle, when half-throttle would be a nice occasional variant.

At a time when pressured media budgets are conspiring, with the general preference for escapism over reality, to threaten war reporting's very existence, A Private War unflinchingly reminds us of its value.

[An] impassioned if occasionally contrived drama...

I can only say, with confidence, that the film features a magnificently fierce, alert and impassioned performance from Rosamund Pike, whose usual English rose delicacy is nowhere to be seen. It is top work, properly.

Its grindingly earnest tone is that of the hasty posthumous tribute, rather than the more textured, inquiring long view of a worthwhile biopic.

Rosamund Pike is a master at her work, yet the film's structure does not help us connect with the crude reality of Marie Colvin's impressive persona. We become numb of emotion by the pace of it all. [Full review in Spanish]

Central to A Private War's effectiveness is star Rosamund Pike, playing Colvin in a performance that volleys between admirable strength and searing vulnerability.

A powerful tribute to Marie Colvin, and the thousands of victims she gave a voice to.

Comes at an interesting time for journalism. With the profession under fire from Fake-Newsers it's important to discover the stories of the people who report on "the rough draft of history."