Such is the grip of this remarkable film that, for the occasional fleeting moment, a positive outcome feels like a possibility. It is, of course, a false hope.

But hope of every kind is ultimately what Mariane Pearl’s story is all about. It is also about courage, dignity and decency - the lack of which marks the character of a terrorist.

Her memoir ‘A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death of My Husband Danny Pearl’ drives the prolific Winterbottom’s second foray into the War on Terror, following the provocative Road To Guantanamo.

Shortly after 9/11, Pearl (Dan Futterman) was living with expectant Mariane in Karachi while researching a story about the ‘shoe-bomber’ Richard Reed.

Through a ‘fixer’, Pearl arranged to meet an elusive source in the city. He never came home.

No strangers to kidnap cases, counter-terrorism chief Captain (Irrfan Khan) and his team based their operation at the home of the Pearls’ friend and colleague Asra (Archie Panjabi).

Acting on every lead with swift and often brutal efficiency, it is clear that Captain’s policy is to fight fire with fire.

But even respected US diplomat Randall Bennett (Will Patton) could do little to bypass the mutual suspicion between Pakistan and Indian, whose intelligence services are loathe to share crucial information and whose media used the Pearls’ plight to fuel their own propaganda war.

Asra, for instance, is Indian and female and thus pronounced a spy by the Karachi press.

Critically, Daniel further damages his chances of survival by refusing to hide his Jewishness from his militant Muslim captors.

After five agonising weeks of following paper trails and fruitless raids, captures were eventually made. Tragically they came too late, the chilling evidence provided by a videotape of Daniel’s beheading.

Winterbottom’s rough-and-ready style, allied to Peter Christelis’ busy editing, creates a palpable feeling of urgency and suspense while capturing Karachi in all its confusing glory.

But the film’s ace in the hole is Jolie. Depressingly, there seems to be more debate about Jolie’s physical makeover (Mariane is of French-Cuban descent) than the worthiness of her performance. Some people never see the bigger picture.

Without fuss, she conveys all the strength and resolve of a woman who – with the investigation, an unborn child and frantic parents-in-law back in America to think about - cannot afford to be otherwise… until her worst fears are confirmed.

The scene that follows is almost unbearable to watch. Every repressed feeling of doubt and despair is finally unleashed in a soul-rending primal scream. It makes the blood run cold.

Yet life goes on for Mariane. Through her writing, she strives to counter global hatred and resentment with understanding and reason. It is an admirable cause.

Finding humanity amidst inhumanity, A Mighty Heart is sobering proof that the most frightening horror stories come from the real world. Every day.

Elliott Noble