Live from Baghdad (2002 TV Movie) User Reviews (41)

Not a movie as much as a prompt

[svs247 · 8/10 · 19 March 2006]

'Live from Baghdad' is a political movie in the sense that it asks very tough questions; however, its center lies not in politics but in people. It relates the story of Robert Wiener and his CNN team as they struggle to report the news from Baghdad in the six month antebellum period leading up to the Persian Gulf War of 1991. The team battles with tough Iraqi censorship, enormous political tension, and the reality of impending war. While still presenting the historical events of the time, Baghdad focuses on interpersonal relationships and intrapersonal struggles. Questions over the role of the media emanate from the various stories and struggles that the CNN team faces. The issues of censorship and propaganda, for example, plague the CNN team and their coverage. The use of the media as a diplomatic pawn befalls Wiener and his crew several times in the film. In many senses Baghdad is a media mood ring: different situations in the movie stress and display the various characteristics of the press from a governmental tool to diplomatic connection.

The acting in this movie is superb. Keaton is a very strong actor in this film and in every sense epitomizes the gung-ho, balls-out attitude of the real Robert Wiener. In stark contrast, David Suchet, as Naji Al-Hadithi, presents the exquisiteness of his character with a sense of calculation and deliberation. He very much captures a cultured, borderline-aristocratic dignity that an Iraqi official in Saddam Hussein's cabinet might hold.

The particular strength of this movie is not in the plot, the production or the characters, however--and in fact none of these really stand out as excellent--but in the broad questions it raises. At the heart of this film is the implied question as to the role of the media. To what extent should we censor? How much should we analyze? What does the public have the right to now and how far can the press go to get it? 'Live from Baghdad' is an incredible movie in the sense that it can raise these questions from an emotional and factual base.

I give this movie an 8 out of 10 for its generally entertaining plot and tough press-related questions.

Makes you feel like you were there...

[BSS · 7/10 · 8 December 2002]

The appeal of this movie is that it makes you feel the fear, excitement, and tension that the journalists covering the Gulf War had to have felt. There are many scenes that accomplish this very well, including the scenes where the journalists are in Kuwait investigating stories of Iraqi soldiers taking babies from incubators and leaving them for dead. The interview scene with Hussein is very well done; you can imagine the intimidation Wiener felt when he had to clip a microphone on Hussein's tie.

However, nothing in the movie brings out these emotions in the audience like the shots of the skies of Baghdad illuminated with bombs and anti-aircraft fire. The bravery shown by the journalists who covered this from their hotel room instead of taking shelter is amazing to me to this day, and the movie really communicates a sense of how they must have felt.

I probably wouldn't have been anywhere near Baghdad had I been in their shoes, but now I know how they must have felt.

INTERESTING FILM- POSSIBLE SPOILERS

[reltreg-1 · 8/10 · 15 April 2003]

***POSSIBLE SPOILERS***

I liked this movie. It was interesting to see how the 1991 Persian Gulf War was covered and some of the differences to how the present day Gulf War is being covered by the news network.

Michael Keaton did a good job of portraying Robert Wiener and so did Helena Bonham Carter as Ingrid Formanek. I thought that Bruce McGill looks like Peter Arnett and I think he did a good job as well. I couldn't believe that Bruce McGill is D-day from "Animal House" either.

It was overall a well done film and I think that it was interesting for me after seeing the film to see what some of the real people portrayed in the film are actually doing today. 8.5/10

Stunning reminder of the days when CNN was a news network

[Big Man-6 · 7 December 2002]

Outstanding HBO movie charting the coming of age of CNN during the opening days of the Gulf War, as producers Robert Wiener (Michael Keaton) and Ingrid Formaneck (Helena Bonham Carter) doggedly walk a tightrope between reporting the facts as they see them and keeping the Iraqi authorities from expelling them. Excellent supporting cast, in particular David Suchet as Naji Al-Hadithi, the Iraqi information minister and Bruce McGill (dodgy accent notwithstanding) as Peter Arnett. Mick Jackson's best work since A Very British Coup (1988) and hopefully the catalyst to re-energise Michael Keaton's career. In short, the finest film of it's kind since Under Fire (1983) and a wake-up call to CNN to get back to real reporting and cease its current pathetic spiral into celebrity-obsessed 24 hour chat-show oblivion.

An awesome piece of work, With a flaw.

[sodapop78 · 7/10 · 7 December 2002]

HBO has made a fine piece of work here, Live from baghdad is on my must have DVD list. This is an awesome piece of work that HBO has made for us with a flaw, The flaw is that people will see this as propaganda for CNN and HBO and we all know who these companies belong to. Aside from that the movie kept me in suspense because I knew what was coming and I knew it would be of course the anti aircraft fire at the end of the film and it was nothing short of spectacular, You could only imagine what the reporters were thinking in Iraq.

Guts - to dare, judgment - to survive.

[vitaliykuznetsov · 10/10 · 12 December 2002]

"Live from Baghdad", a new production of the HBO network, tells us the lifetime story of the people who have two things - guts and judgment. The first one allows them to go to a place precisely at the same time, as other people tend to leave it at any cost. Thanks to the second, they manage to get themselves back in one piece.

The CNN producers Robert Wiener and Ingrid Formaneck have reported a million of top stories form around the World. They know for sure what kind of reports Atlanta (the headquarter of CNN) is waiting from them, and what's infinitely more important, the billions of people in front of TV screens. Like any other reporter involved in the 24-hours news production, they have only one thought in mind all the time - to find a new story to report. In August of 1990, as Iraqi invaded to Kuwait, the both of them were absolutely confident - they are about to report the story of the lifetime.

The crucial part of the movie is the natural and realistic reflection of issues and problems those people face. Many of the situations can be barely imagined by a person who has never been in a third-world country. In the countries where nobody can be sure in anything until to the last moment; where any decision can be completely changed in a blink of the eye; where a direct order from the certain people can overwrite any low; and eventually, where the only one absolute way to solve an issues is the "under-table" cash.

Even though the movie is abundantly saturated with the action scenes, the individuality and the personal skills of the main characters are highly emphasized. Along with the total dedication to the job, Ingrid Formaneck manages to remain a real woman. Strong and weak at the same time, she can support people around her, but also needs to be supported. She doesn't walk around with a machine-gun and she knows when something is too much for her. Robert Wiener is not going to leave the ashes and broken lives behind him, not even to make the Atlanta' bosses happy. The mixture of courage, persistence and caution, honesty and decency helps him and his team to achieve the incredible result. One after another, a set of small scenes is drawing the whole picture of the story. It helps us to understand the inner feelings of the people involved in these events. The way Robert Wiener stares at Saddam Houssein while attaching a microphone on his tie; a barely perceptible nod Naji Al-Hadithi (an official from the Iraq' Ministry of information) gave to Robert on his question about the fate of an American, hold by the Iraq's government.

As for the political message - it is quite independent. The movie clearly shows the Iraqi aggression on Kuwait with the followed devastation of the country, as well as specific aspects of the life under the military-driven government. However, it doesn't make any attempts of judgment or evaluation. The main focus of the movie remains on the journalist's job and their efforts to cover the story as complete as possible.

For Wiener, by Wiener and About Wiener

[vivesi-1 · 7/10 · 31 July 2003]

The movie was written by the main character and his heroic battle for good, ethical journalistic coverage in the outbreak of a war. He's portrayed as movie-flawed (likes vodka) but a good person and goshdarnit, a damned fine journalist. That's how the writer portrays himself. And that indicates the veracity of many of the other "factual" events in the movie. Others have spelled out the errors so I will not reiterate.

Funny that a journalist who apparently thinks that he's among the best and the bravest chose not nonfiction to tell his story, but made up a story to tell us.

I also have a minor issue with women wearing more make-up than drag queens in impossible situations like wars. I mean, I thought we left that silly movie practice in the 80s. What if the story broke and you had only one eye finished????

wonderful film, powerful story

[JBoze313 · 10/10 · 7 December 2002]

HBO has brought us a great film here. Michael Keaton plays CNN producer Bob Weiner in this exciting tale of drama, war, and the role the media plays in current affairs. The film is about the events leading up to, and culminating in the 1991 Gulf War. We see the invasion of Kuwait months before the allied bombing raids, and we end after the first night of bombing...the movie follows the events of this time period, which include that invasion of Kuwait, the holding of American and British hostages in Iraq, CNN's rise on the media scene, becoming a very powerful international news organization thanks to their exclusive reporting from Iraq. Keaton does a very nice job here, which is what you expect from a great actor like himself...Carter, who plays the other CNN producer is very good as well, this being the first movie I have seen her in.

Nice filmmaking here...I'm not sure where it was filmed, but it sure looked like Baghdad to me...and the casting is very well all around- these guys looked so much like shaw, arnett, and to a lesser degree John Holloman- it was almost eerie. You felt like you were right in the room with these guys as they talked to Atlanta over the four wire radio they had access to (which is what helped them report the story from Iraq when no one else could.) There are some really good special effects as well, the anti aircraft fire lighting up the sky was spectacular, and once again- it helped give the feeling that you were right in the thick of things.

Welcome to the CNN Museum of Great Moments in Journalism

[Keylimepie · 6/10 · 20 June 2006]

What we now know about CNN is that they kept secret many things they knew that Saddam was doing in order to keep this very Baghdad office open. In at least one instance, this resulted in the deaths of two of Saddam's sons-in-law when CNN failed to warn them that they were to be executed when they came back from the U.S. CNN knew this. They kept quiet about what they knew in order to keep their bureau open. The men came back, they were executed. Here is a link:

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/04/20/1050777161410.html

CNN did this throughout the 90's and up until it was clear that the U.S. was going to overrun Baghdad. At that point the senior editor in chief of the Baghdad news bureau did a preemptive admission. He copped to hiding facts that might reflect poorly on Saddam and the Ba'ath Party so that they didn't incur the dictator's wrath. They needed to stay competitive and to protect their Iraqi staff (didn't other networks have this problem as well?) was the justification. My question was and is, if you aren't going to report the truth, or as much of it as you know, then what is the point of your bureau other than that it provided you with a nice income with bonus hazardous duty pay? What is the point in staying competitive when all you are doing is sending out soft stories that steer clear of the truly horrific stuff Saddam was doing? And what is the point of keeping silent about things you know when life and death are in the balance? I need to ask the same thing the guy asks Michael Keaton's character in this film: How do you sleep at night? One might also wonder, why, once CNN cemented itself in the public's mind as the brave network that stuck when others ran, that it curled up in a corner and became a network that protected its own image rather than report the truth of the outrages of Saddam's horrific rule? Whatever they gained in 1991, they lost in 2003, and not only did they lose the confidence of the public, but since 2003 the other networks' credibility has steadily eroded in the face of the multiple checks on them by pajama-clad Internet bloggers who just don't take the networks at their word anymore. This, as far as I'm concerned, is the best thing that has happened to journalism since the Sixties. This movie seems to me to be CNN trying to remind us all how important they are, but events have overtaken them, and this now looks like a display in a museum.

Where have all the reporters gone?

[falconesque · 9/10 · 14 October 2006]

Excellent teleplay, exemplary performances. Riveting and thought-provoking. A top-notch production all around.

Beyond what else has been said, LIVE FROM BAGHDAD hails those who, as late as 1991, stood up for the freedom of the press, the battles waged, the compromises made, their failures as well as their successes. Bush the elder had ordered the press out of Baghdad, but failed, as this teleplay depicts. When Bush the younger reentered Iraq, he offered the press corps a leash instead, which most agencies snapped up.

LIVE FROM BAGHDAD, a brilliant bit of reporting done by an extraordinary CNN team, but also a subtle homage to those who help preserve one of the most vital proponents of liberty -- a free press.

CNN moves up into the Big Leagues

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 5 April 2020]

HBO produced a truly outstanding movie about CNN and its reporting of the events leading up to the Gulf War and the war itself. Good use was made of existing newsreel footage of the real events and people from President George H,W. Bush to Saddam Hussein.

Michael Keaton and Helena Bonham-Carter play producing partners who get the assignment to cover the rising tensions between Iraq and the USA and its allies that led to the Gulf War. Before the war CNN as a news station had a viewership confined to political junkies. Their reporting put cable news on an equal footing with the big three VHS networks

in the supporting cast David Suchet a man expert at playing many ethnic types steals all scenes he's in as the Iraqi information minister. A history lesson is given as to how Kuwait was created post World War I to deny them the best ports at the head of the Persian Gulf. Of course his own country was created in those same post World War I conferences. But that's another story.

Live From Baghdad won a flock of Emmys sadly not one for David Suchet. And the following year we were at war with Iraq again.

The Return Of The Keaton

[lloydchristmas08 · 10/10 · 12 December 2002]

Live From Baghdad marks the triumphant return of one of the most harsh individuals in show business today: Michael Keaton. He is extremely hard boiled in this role and the supporting cast of Helena Bonham-Carter, Lili Taylor, David Suchet and Bruce McGill are a force to be reckoned with. The end when the war begins is one of the most realistic war scenes I've seen in some time, it really looks like you're in the room watching the battle unfold with them. I hope this will be a kick start for Keaton to get back into making new movies because he has not lost a step in his acting ability. But you all should see for yourself, if any of you get HBO I suggest you watch this the next time its on.

Mediocre drama. Good commercial.

[=G= · 6/10 · 16 December 2002]

"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+)

DISINFORMATION GALORE

[Topher-26 · 1/10 · 3 February 2003]

It was often publically proven that Naira, the girl who supposedly saw the babies die in Kuweit from the unplugged incubators (312 of them as confirmed by Amnesty International then) turned out to be the daughter of the Ambassador of Kuweit in Washington, DC. and never set foot in Kuweit in her life. (Amnesty International later realized their mistake).

The movie suggests that the American journalists were kept from investigating further inside the hospital by the local Iraqi police. The whole thing being a lie, this scene makes obviously no sense.

After the broadcast of this woman's "testimony" shocking the world population, George Bush Sr. got the authorization 2 days later to attack Iraq.

Of course, the only kinds of journalists represented in the film are from CNN and FOX, notoriously known as being the most government-controlled media "news" companies of the "free world".

Please do not let this film serve as a history book. It only serves the purpose of disinformation aimed at the masses. Praising a political film based on propaganda is more serious than voting for a comedy. A little research to verify the facts beforehand might be necessary.

A Decent Film

[Fenrir-5 · 16 December 2002]

This film is a well-written and acted live-action documentary of Robert Wiener's experiences working as a CNN correspondent in Baghdad during the Gulf War. Overall, it is pretty good. The speeches all resonate, and it is good to see some of the atrocities committed by Saddam's army brought to light again; revisionist Americans love to paint the Gulf War as a "quest for oil", just as they love to browbeat America for using the atomic bomb during WWII. Obviously there are many sides to any story, and for the most part "Live from Baghdad" does a good job of showing what was really happening in Iraq, along with serving the Americans an occasional slice of humble pie for their brashness and xenophobia.

Interestingly, the weakest part of the movie is the director. Mick Jackson has a lot of experience (I'm amazed to find out that he directed Steve Martin's "L.A. Story"), but his work here falls into two distinct categories: workmanlike and/or irritating. The workmanlike scenes aren't so bothersome. But occasionally he'll pull a trick out of his hat, and it's always hackneyed - particularly his fascination with long shots of people staring. This is one of those art house things that you just have to suffer through, along with the excessively talky relationship between Wiener and Ingrid. It is a distinctly American conceit, as seen in such dreck as "Pearl Harbor", to take something as colossal as a war and use it as a backdrop for a hamfisted love story. I also found it a little unsettling that the reporters were laughing and slapping each other on the back after the bombing, while outside their relatively safe hotel people were picking their loved ones out of the rubble.

It is definitely a gigantic commercial for CNN, but you know that going in. The guy worked for CNN. If you watch a documentary about Colonel Sanders, you have to expect some fried chicken.

Some people have dismissed the film as propaganda; I must point out that while it does paint our involvement in the Gulf War in a positive light, it makes no reference to the modern situation except to state that Saddam Hussein is still in power. If you were against the war, then of course there's no way you will like this film. But if you were against it without knowing anything about it except some friend of yours said "we're doing it for oil!", then you should do quite a bit of research ... and this film is as good a place as any to start.

The Karma of a Wealthy Country, In an Engaging Movie

[claudio_carvalho · 9/10 · 23 November 2004]

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')

David Suchet Most Live

[speechmasters · 10/10 · 7 December 2002]

For his portrayal of Naji, Iraqi Minister of Information, David Suchet deserves a best supporting actor award. His work is at once riveting and sublime. The whole story plays across his eyes. He infuses an unsympathetic character with warmth, intelligence, and humor. Especially in the context of current events, what more important work can an actor do than present so many colors of humanity in those we perceive as a faceless enemy.

Still Grabs You

[caroledelm · 9/10 · 8 March 2004]

I watched Live From Baghdad again last evening, and it's still exciting and of course, relevant. That the story is true, is spine tingling, and one wonders if he would have stood his ground for a story under the circumstances. Michael Keaton always captures the essence of the character (I wonder what Robert Wiener thought about his performance), and carries the audience along with him. I'm a fan, and watch all his movies multiple times (Multiplicity?). He's excellent every time. He can make you roll with laughter, or sob your heart out. I wish there were more movies, and I look forward to his current projects.

Helena Bonham Carter was deserving of her Emmy Award, as well. I would watch the film again, the plot and characters are that interesting.

It's not TV, it's HBO.

[writebyte · 10/10 · 7 December 2002]

What can you say? Another superb HBO production.

Great Script, Great Cast, superb.

All the more poignant as the rhetoric heats up for a second go round.

Outstanding.

Repugnant that it makes your stomach churn

[benchrsen · 1/10 · 29 December 2023]

Overblown embarrassing ridiculous sensationalizing of the not heroic journalists of the berated powerless under dog cnn, the heart throbbing news channel of billionaire and social radical Turner... cheap appeal to human sympathy. The not intrepid reporters were safe because US only bombed sites where military hardware was. My God, someone give em medal of honor already! Tge bombing is so over the top emotional underscored with that phony music makes you want to puke. It's repugnant, my God what tacky propaganda! I watch war footage in Ukraine every day where people get blown up and no theatrics attached to that whatsoever. There was a situation in Ukraine where a reporter was in a building with camera rolling as a bomb hit... no theatrics no sensationalizing, the reporter was actually filmed how he helped a person get out from underneath the rubble... now that could potentially be made into a movie, but not this ultra phony balony. You see this was made after Cold War ended, US had forgotten what wars are even though Grenada and Panama wars had just happened so the bombing was like exciting. And American society had become totally overwhelmed with over abundance and there were no real social causes left, so this was supposed to somehow be reminiscent of really heroic reporters in Vietnam maybe?! Reporters in Vietnam were actually in the middle of the fighting in the jungle and cities, they were actually courageous and risked their lives and got killed. This gratuitous flick is however the opposite of those days and it's totally ridiculous and dumb.

great movie with simple though often disrespected message

[jaymzz66 · 8 December 2002]

interesting behind-the-war-probe, portrayed by a tv crew looking for the news story of their lives but also the price to pay for it. great performances by keaton, carter, suchet and the remaining cast as well as very well done visual effects. especially the bombing scenes commented live are so realistic you could smell the death in the air. big kudos to robert wiener and mick jackson for attempts to present the unfortunate events from relatively ordinary people's perspectives and free of overly political propaganda. the story clearly shows the west and the east are different but unlike the east, the west doesn't almost bother learning to know and understand the differences and the history behind them. demonising the unknown then creates a perfect opportunity to present it as hostile. while the gulf war probably had its justifiable reason, the current war-like situation is simply missing it...

CNN Live

[lastliberal · 8/10 · 16 April 2007]

Picking up three Emmys from 10 nominations, and being nominated for several Golden Globes as well as many more award wins and nominations, this film shows a realistic and memorable performance of the CNN crew in Baghdad during Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

I was very interested in what they did as I was providing support to the B-52 crews as they prepared during Desert Shield, and then I had to go back to the States and watch desert Storm on TV. It's not like I hadn't seen Desert Storm before, only they called it Reforger every time we did it in practice.

Michael Keaton and Helna Bonham Carter were fantastic as the leads, and they got incredible support from Lili Taylor (Rudy), Paul Guilfoyle (CSI), and many, many more.

Makes you wish you were there!

[erickdavid · 9/10 · 8 December 2002]

I was excited when I heard this movie was being made. And...I wasn't let down. I thought this was an incredible movie. As far as it being accurate to what actually happened, that I'm not sure. But the movie kept my interest and I left me wanting more. I recommend it to anyone in the business. It's sure to be a boost of motivation!

Excellent!!!

[jpintar · 10/10 · 24 July 2003]

This is an excellent movie from HBO about journalists in Iraq covering the build up to the Gulf War. It is very honest about how journalists risk their lives and freedom so that people get the news accurately. It is also about how 24 hour news channels such as CNN grew up. Today we take for granted, but then it was a big deal. Michael Keaton gives his best performance since Batman here. I hope his career after this.

excellent the best tv movie I have ever seen!!!!!!!!!!!

[pleydo · 9/10 · 8 December 2002]

I was thinking about not watching this movie. I am glad I did. We often times forget about live tv and the reporters in harms way. This show goes a long way to show you just how scary the real world is. We are desensitized by tv, violence and awful tragedies everywhere. Live from Baghdad does not overdo the violence or horror of war. They rely on the implied. It is a powerful formulae and it works very. I also liked the story behind the story behind the story. I think there were four different storyboards going on in this movie. This movie is dramatic, and even funny at times. I enjoyed my free tv movie.