"Live from Baghdad" Review

Should I Stay and Risk My Life or Go Home?

CNN journalists put their lives in danger while struggling to be the only news channel in the world to be live from Baghdad to witness the bombing during the Persian Gulf War in 1991. Robert Wiener (Michael Keaton) and Ingrid Formanek (Helena Bonham Carter), both partners and producers, give a great performance in showing their dedication in getting what they came for: a live story.

The journalists stay at the Al-Rashid Hotel during their desired mission. Through their journey, they discover details that they encounter and broadcast it to the CNN network back in America.

The film “Live from Baghdad” is based on a real life action that occurred and made history for the CNN network. It was also based on a book written by Robert Wiener, the CNN producer that lead the Baghdad story at the time. Keaton, the producer/actor took the role of being the character of Wiener and re-enacted the most memorable event for CNN network.

The movie involves some humorous comments, but the action towards the important scenes are so intense and frightful, it focuses the audience to see the terrified yet strong journalists’ faces when they achieve to broadcast the bombing and stay alive.

Throughout the movie, Wiener fights to get the approval of Naji Al Hadithi (David Suchet), minister of Iraq to get an interview with President of Iraq, Saddam Hussein. Hadithi and Wiener slowly build a relationship, which they somehow understand each other, considering the difference of being an American and Iraqis.

Another relationship that grows in the film is Bonham Carter’s character, Ingrid and Wiener. Wiener, married with children, becomes curious about any intimacies between him and Ingrid in the many drunken nights they’ve had during the many years they’ve worked together.

This film, directed by Mike Jackson and produced by George W. Perkins, manages to get the journalists to do what they came for and see the difficulty in achieving that goal considering the situation and the fact that they are Americans in a place that is being attacked by the U.S.

Executives of CNN network said the crew had a choice of leaving or staying, after the White House announced the time of the bombing and had advised for the journalists to depart. With great cinematography by Ivan Strasberg, the most intense scene is the crew becoming witnesses of the disaster of the city getting destroyed from the window of their room in the Al-Rashid Hotel.

The film expresses the fear that the Iraqis go through as the Persian Gulf war occurs, which gives the American viewers a chance to see how it affects the Iraqis instead of only seeing how it affects the Americans.

“Live from Baghdad” is a film that keeps people at the edge of their seat. This event made history and what they covered changed the views of the CNN network and the public.