Release Date: October 17, 2003
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Ciarán Hinds, Gerarg McSorley, Brenda Fricker, Don Wycherley
Directed by: Joel Schumacher
Written by: Carol Doyle, Mary Agnes Donoghue
Distributed by: Buena Vista Pictures
MPAA Rating: R (violence, language, some drug content)
For Joel Schumacher, gone are the days of Batman & Robin and 8MM. With Veronica Guerin, the director seems to finally be in the right groove. Following the impressive pictures Tigerland, Phone Booth, and now this, the filmmaker is making his mark as a talented artist. But the more important part of this movie might be its depiction of the life and stuggles of Irish journalist Veronica Guerin, which Schumacher skillfully presents as a hellish glimpse at the drug war that plagued many parts of Ireland in the mid-1990’s.
The slums of Guerin’s beloved nation were literally covered with crime. Small children played with used syringes that litter the street, and there was sex and violence around every corner. Meanwhile, the criminals who benefited bought mansions, mistresses, flashy cars, and expensive clothes. It was a known fact that gangs all over the land were supplying drugs to these areas, and no one seemed to be doing anything about it.
Bored with her recent reports, Sunday Independent writer Veronica Guerin, who had a young son of her own, set out on a mission to expose the illegal activities that were destroying neighborhoods and endangering countless lives. With admirable courage, she came face to face with many of the wealthy men who were suspected to be in charge of the drug and sex traffic. Expectedly, she doesn’t get much cooperation -- except from one man, a nervous crook named John Traynor (Ciranán Hinds) who seems to have had a crush on the pretty reporter and throws her a few bits of information. The consequences of her investigation are terrible, however, and a series of violent events followed, including an attempt on Guerin’s life.
Though her family and employers constantly tried to convince her otherwise, she refused to quit. This choice can be seen as either reckless or completely courageous, and Schumacher lets the viewer decide. He makes a point to present Guerin’s undying love for her husband (Paul Ronan) and son while also making painfully clear how horrible the problem is that Guerin is fighting against. John Gilligan (Gerard McSorley), one of the leading drug lords, is shown to be especially despicable; at one point, he literally beats Guerin to the ground, tears her clothes, and yells profanities at her, simply because she came to his house to question him.
What is she to do? Give up for the sake of her own family and to save her own life, or keep digging further and further without giving into the intimidation of these heartless thugs? There’s a strong argument for either course of action, and the film is a fair and true display of this real-life drama. Guerin, in fact, doesn’t give up, and it’s this bold legacy that the movie honors quite well.
Cate Blanchett is an exceptional aid to Schumacher’s cause, as she seems born to play the feisty and fearless journalist. Her Veronica Guerin is just as -- if not more so -- pleasingly confident and appealing as the character Julia Roberts was acclaimed for playing in Erin Brockovich. The story here is more compelling and powerful, though, and Blanchett is heroic herself in portraying this woman who made a dramatic difference in the Irish drug war less than a decade ago. The actress uses the accent, the pleasant winks, and the daring personality to make the audience feel like we’ve actually met Guerin herself. And this, along with the unsettling issues surrounding her tale, makes Veronica Guerin a worthy dedication to the woman’s life and the many journalists who have made sacrifices to do their jobs.
The screenplay by Carol Doyle and Mary Agnus Donoghue does what it can to avoid exploiting the drama of Guerin’s life, mostly by revealing the journalist’s fate in the movie’s first five minutes instead of saving it for a more depressing and theatrical finale. But there are still moments where the dialogue and situations are more preachy than subtle, and Schumacher himself jerks a few tears with a slow-motion scene at the end that involves all of the people that Guerin knew and touched.
The film is still effective, though, and there isn’t much more to ask than that. Veronica Guerin is, overall, a fine display of talent from both Schumacher and Blanchett. Whether the director stays on this upward path is uncertain, but like the talented journalist this movie is about, he did his job well here.
-- Andy Zientek (zfilm@earthlink.net)