Sarah Lloyd (Andie MacDowell) is a Newsweek journalist. Her husband Harrison Lloyd (David Strathairn) is a renown war photographer. He is conflicted about leaving his family for another war zone. He gets challenged by rival Kyle Morris (Adrien Brody) to go cover the simmering strife in Yugoslavia. Harrison goes there and is reported killed in a collapsed building. His body is not recovered and Sarah refuses to accept the report. There is a phone call from someone after Harrison's death but she couldn't hear the voice. The conflict heats up as Serbian troops move into Croatia and she heads for the center Vukovar. She is almost raped during a harrowing skirmish. She is found by reporters led by Marc Stevenson (Brendan Gleeson). Kyle is also there. He was the one who made the phone call but is reluctant to tell her.
There is compelling action about a compelling conflict. Despite the harrowing subject, it doesn't come off as gritty. It almost has an action adventure vibe. The reporters are walking around in the chaotic massacres and it doesn't feel as intense as it should be. The flashforwards don't help since they show some of the characters alive after the fact. It's also true that Andie MacDowell lacks the gravitas to do serious gritty work. This could have been better.
There is compelling action about a compelling conflict. Despite the harrowing subject, it doesn't come off as gritty. It almost has an action adventure vibe. The reporters are walking around in the chaotic massacres and it doesn't feel as intense as it should be. The flashforwards don't help since they show some of the characters alive after the fact. It's also true that Andie MacDowell lacks the gravitas to do serious gritty work. This could have been better.