ERIN BROCKOVICH
A film review by Christopher Null
Copyright 2000 filmcritic.com
filmcritic.com
Besides having the hardest-to-type title of a movie since BEING
JOHN MALKOVICH, what will be the legacy of ERIN BROCKOVICH, an unabashed
Julia Roberts star vehicle that, coincidentally, also tells the story of
the largest direct-action legal settlement in American history?
It won't be for its aura of jurisprudence. As a primer on the U.S.
legal system, BROCKOVICH is not terribly compelling. The legal
mumbo-jumbo is all there and feels accurate enough, but the heart of the
movie simply doesn't rest with the details of the case, which features
Pacific Gas & Electric poisoning 600 people in a small California town
with chromium (and then telling them it's good for them).
While it's not a class-action lawsuit, the case has essentially the
same details as A CIVIL ACTION and any number of other VERDICT clones,
with nearly-bankrupt attorneys who risk it all on One Big Case.
And while the mind wanders when the film turns toward the perils of
fighting The System, your eyes light up when Roberts takes the stage.
ERIN BROCKOVICH is her movie. And while Albert Finney steals a bit of
thunder as her grumpy boss, it's Erin's brassy, white-trash, amateur
investigator that makes you want to watch this movie, all 2 1/2 hours of
it.
That, and the fact that none of Roberts' outfits seem to be able to
cover her brassiere. To say the least, Roberts is breaking new grounds
in cleavage with this film -- anticipate much to be made of her "new
look". That said, it's fabulous to see her in an atypical role, far
away from the sap and formula of recent fare like RUNAWAY BRIDE.
With the exception of Finney, the supporting cast is lackluster.
Aaron Eckhart tries awfully hard as Erin's Harley-lovin' yet
family-friendly boyfriend, but the role doesn't really suit him. While
attempts are made to humanize them, the victims are all pretty much the
same character, each battling one tragic disease or another.
It's obvious that indie breath-holder Stephen Soderbergh (OUT OF
SIGHT, THE LIMEY) is behind the camera. Shots are regularly hand-held,
close-ups are regularly extreme. The film looks different, but in the
end it's really just more of the same fist-waving we've seen before. A
good film, not great, not terribly compelling, but featuring a slam-dunk
performance by Miss Roberts in a season of otherwise unwatchable films.
All of which may leave you wondering, Is PG&E still this awful?
Last year somebody at the company flipped the wrong switch, and the
power went out in San Francisco for a full day. I think a few lawsuits
are pending.
RATING: ***1/2
|------------------------------|
\ ***** Perfection \
\ **** Good, memorable film \
\ *** Average, hits and misses \
\ ** Sub-par on many levels \
\ * Unquestionably awful \
|------------------------------|
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Producer: Danny DeVito, Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher
Writer: Susannah Grant
Starring: Julia Roberts, Aaron Eckhart, Albert Finney, Marg Helgenberger
http://www.erinbrockovich.com/
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Christopher Null - null@filmcritic.com - http://www.filmcritic.com
Have I seen this movie: No
Will I see It: probably on video