Live from Baghdad (2002)
A group of CNN reporters wrestle with journalistic ethics and the life-and-death perils of reporting during the Gulf War.A Directors Guild Award-winning movie for director Mick Jackson, starring Michael Keaton and Helena Bonham Carter. In 1990, CNN was a 24-hour news network in search of a 24-hour story. They were about to find it in Baghdad. Veteran CNN producer Robert Wiener and his longtime producing partner Ingrid Formanek find themselves in Iraq on the eve of war. Up against the big three networks, Weiner and his team are rebels with a cause, willing to take risks to get the biggest stories and - unlike their rivals - take them live at a moment's notice. As Baghdad becomes an inevitable US target, one by one the networks pull out of the city until only the crew from CNN remains. With a full-scale war soon to be launched all around them, and CNN ready to broadcast whatever happens 24 hours a day, Wiener and Formanek are about to risk their lives for the story of a lifetime.
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CNN producer Robert Wiener, his colleague and their crew venture to the Iraqi capital to cover the Gulf War. I knew that Live from Baghdad was going to win me over just from that Epic Opening in the Movie Theater, the characters that we get introduced to such as Robert Wiener played by the amazing and talented Michael Keaton who does an extraordinary job or Ingrid Formanek played by the also amazing Helena Bonham Carter and the rest of the cast that goes on and on every single character and actor in this film is fantastic. The direction that the film takes is terrific and there's intense threw out every scene from interviews to even just simple conversations between our characters. The soundtrack also brings a much more dramatic vibe to this already black and white film that you're introduced to. Beautiful dialogue, a terrific based on real life events and a extraordinary and talented cast make Live from Baghdad a Must See for every Fan out there. It's also a very inspiring film about a few brave souls that chose to even 'sacrifice' their lives for the TRUTH.
Michael Keaton and Helena Bonham-Carter do a good job and the recreation of the first Iraq war and the Bush fascism behind it is well done. We see the original invasion of Kuwait where Saddam stepped on the wrong toes, and the lead up to the incredible assault by Bush on the modern city of Baghdad. We saw the video game on TV, but not the devastation that lay in it's wake. Then came the US media blackout (which this film didn't cover) and the results of this unjust illegal war: hundreds of thousands slaughtered by Bush and his fascist forces all to keep the oil barons' and defense contractors' wives in furs. Then the assault occurred again some 12 years later by the Son of Bush continuing his father's murderous rampage. But this time NBC fired Peter Arnett because he told the truth...a no-no when you work for GE.
"Live From Baghdad" is all about CNN producer Robert Weiner in the days leading up to the US bombing of Iraq from his behind-the-scenes Baghdad perspective. The film sticks little known Weiner out front and tries to build drama around his character but fails to deliver a human story as it ricochets off such issues as the emotional bond with a professional kindred (Bonham Carter); the blurring of the line between journalistic ethics and professional fervor; a producer's egotistical self interest endangering other correspondents and crew; and the whole Iraq perspective. What could have been real meat on this skeleton succumbs to shallow dramatic flair, lots of busy work, Keaton's too glib cuteness, etc. leaving just so much couch potato carrion. Nonetheless, this commercial for CNN from corporate sibling HBO will likely prove an adequate watch for the weary cable viewer. (C+)
"Live From Baghdad" is an excellent first person account of CNN's place in history as the news organization permitted by the Iraqi government to broadcast during the Gulf War.That being said, I do have complaints. Mainly that the movie leaves the impression that CNN was the only network on the air when the bombing campaign began. In fact - and printed transcripts back this up - former ABC News correspondent Garry Shepherd was the first western journalist to report that the bombing campaign had begun, beating out CNN by about 6 minutes. ABC's World News Tonight dumped out, in the middle of a report on the mood in Baghdad, to air Shepherd's phone account of the bombing campaign. He was allowed to continue for about 5 to 10 minutes before the Iraqi government cut the phone lines to the Al Rasheed Hotel, where the journalists were staying.If they had not been watching ABC that night, most viewers of this movie would not know that ABC broke the story of the bombing campaign. The movie implies that on 1/15/91 all other western journalists were trying to get out of Baghdad. Only later when we see that ABC producer in the bomb shelter is there any evidence that ABC was still there.I understand this is Robert Weiner's story to tell, and to that extent it is an excellent docudrama of his and CNN's place in history.