Veronica Guerin


2/4

Starring: Cate Blanchett, Ciaran Hinds, Gerard McSorley, Brenda Fricker

Rated R for Violence, Language and Some Drug Content
The script is the most important part of the film.  It is the groundwork for what happens, and more importantly, who the characters are.  Without a good script, there's little hope of making a decent film.  Apparently, uber-producer Jerry Bruckheimer forgot this when he produced this film.  Although it contains a sparkling performance by Cate Blanchett, the script is a mess and the direction is greatly unfocused.

Veronica Guerin (Cate Blanchett) was a wife, mother and journalist in Ireland.  Horrified at the sight of pre-teens addicted to heroin, she decided to do something about it.  Her investigations led to her murder in 1996.

There are two huge problems with this film.  The first is that the script is all over the map.  The plot goes everywhere, and the trajectory, while chronological, is inconsistent.  The second is that it fails to put what happens in any sort of context.  The characters say what events mean, but we don't see it.

The film's saving grace is, of course, Blanchett.  Blanchett is one of my favorite actresses, and I've been a fan since she took the film world by storm with her electrifying portrayal of a young queen in "Elizabeth."  Not only does the Aussie actress have a pitch-perfect Irish accent, she develops a three-dimensional character out of a terrible script.  Solid support is provided by Ciaran Hinds (as her criminal informant), Gerard McSorley and Brenda Fricker.

It's a shame; this is a powerful story, and it has the talent of one of the best actresses working today, but there's no hope without a script.

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