This tragic true story about the kidnapping of the Jewish American journalist Daniel Pearl (Dan Futterman) on the 23rd January 2002 is a sad indictment of our times. We are reminded that 230 other journalists died mostly in Iraq around that time.

Pearl was the South Asia Bureau Chief for the Wall Street Journal. He and his pregnant wife Marianne (Angelina Jolie) were in Karachi, Pakistan so that he could look into leads on the shoe bomber Richard Reid. Marianne was also a journalist for French radio and they had both covered many stories together. Pearl had one last meeting with a spiritual leader called Sheik Gilani and the next day they were leaving Pakistan to return to Bombay. Unfortunately he didn't come home for dinner that night and it was the last Marianne saw of him. The next day a terrorist group declared they had taken him.

For an interminable five weeks Marianne had to endure a nightmare of confliction. There were rumours that her husband was a secret member of the CIA and then Mossad. Her friend Indian journalist Asra Nomani (Archie Panjabi) with whom they were staying was there for her, but Asra was terrified as the media accused her of being an Indian spy. The head of Pakistan's anti-terrorism unit a man called Captain (Irfan Khan), and Randall Bennett (Will Patton) the American diplomatic security agent were doing their best, but the situation was terribly delicate.

Jolie is brilliant and gives the performance of her life. Because of her amazing looks and her Tomb Raider association we are inclined to forget the girl really can act - remember Girl Interrupted (1999). She makes Marianne a rather prickly character, which in order not to fall to pieces during her ordeal, she had to be. But the script also shows her to be a woman of compassion, as she has complete understanding of how poverty triggers so much terrorism, and hatred affects so many innocent families who have subsequently lost loved ones.

The main problem is at times it is quite difficult to decipher what people are saying, so total concentration is essential. But all the casting is strong, with Khan outstanding giving true depth to the troubled Pakistani Captain heading their side of the investigation. Like this year's excellent Zodiac, we all know how it will end, but Lancashire director Michael Winterbottom has managed to hold one riveted throughout, without selling his soul to sensationalism.

Like last year's Syriana this clever political drama is filmed in a documentary style and sensibly doesn't aggravate the worldwide terrorist situation we all find ourselves in. Daniel Pearl is remembered as a man who wanted to promote cross-cultural understanding. Following his murder, his chums formed "The Daniel Pearl Foundation". It uses music and words to cover the root causes of the hatred that was behind his death. 8/10