Live from Baghdad (2002) (TV)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Mick Jackson

Writers (WGA):

Robert Wiener (book)
Robert Wiener (teleplay) ...

Release Date:

7 December 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

The Gulf War, 1991. No story is worth dying for - but this was the story of a lifetime.

Plot:

A group of CNN reporters wrestle with journalistic ethics and the life-and-death perils of reporting during the Gulf War.

Plot Keywords:

Cnn | Gulf War | Baghdad | Iraq | Saddam Hussein

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 7 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Michael Keaton	...	Robert Wiener
Helena Bonham Carter	...	Ingrid Formanek
Joshua Leonard	...	Mark Biello
Lili Taylor	...	Judy Parker
David Suchet	...	Naji Al-Hadithi
Bruce McGill	...	Peter Arnett
Michael Murphy	...	Tom Johnson
Paul Guilfoyle	...	Ed Turner
Hamish Linklater	...	Richard Roth
Michael Cudlitz	...	Tom Murphy
Robert Wisdom	...	Bernard Shaw
Pamela Sinha	...	Fatima (as Pamela Sinna)
Clark Gregg	...	Eason Jordan
Matt Keeslar	...	Nic Robertson
Kurt Fuller	...	Inky

Runtime:

110 min | USA:108 min | Argentina:107 min | Spain:104 min (DVD edition)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:LH | South Korea:12 | Spain:18 | Australia:M | Finland:K-11 | USA:Unrated | Argentina:13 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Culver Studios - 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

HBO Films

Trivia:

The reason CNN is approved to use the fore-wire is said to be because the ministry believes them to be "fair and balanced". FOX News's motto is "fair and balanced".

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When the team arrives at Iraqi T.V. for their first broadcast and see the "archaic" broadcasting equipment, Mark exclaims, "Jihad! My grandfather used to have stuff like this in his basement." Judy jokingly responds, "Yeah, back in the 80's before you were born?" This is a funny joke to us in the new millennium. At the time of the Gulf War, however, the "80's" were really just a few months before, so this joke is inappropriately placed.

Quotes:

Ed Turner: No story is worth your life... but this is the story of a lifetime.

Movie Connections:

References "Meet the Press" (1947)

The Karma of a Wealthy Country, In an Engaging Movie

In 1990, the producer Robert Wiener (Michael Keaton) convinces the direction of CNN to go to Iraq with his crew due to the increasing tension of this country with USA. When Baghdad was bombed and Iraq invaded in 1991, CNN was the unique television broadcasting the events, being worldwide projected as a great news channel. I liked very much 'Live From Baghdad', mainly because the story is very decent and engaging and stays politically neutral, trying not to manipulate the viewer with any political crap, and limiting to show the hard work and difficulties of the CNN team to work in country under the pressure of an eminent war and with a totally different culture. The direction and the performance of the cast are excellent, but Michael Keaton, Helena Bonham Carter and David Suchet (whose name I have not found in the IMDb credits) are superb. The original title of my review was 'A Decent Movie', and for my surprise there is another review with this title. Once there is a very interesting line about the karma of a country with oil fields, which would be a cemetery of forest and dinosaurs, I decided to highlight this uncommon reference. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): 'Ao Vivo de Bagdá' ('Live From Baghdad')