While it is ostensibly a biopic that focuses by name on its subject à la Erin Brockovich, it similarly feels to be less about who the person was and what and why they did what they did, as it is more “about them.”I mean, Guerin must be known for a reason (she was a slain journalist in Dublin who wrote about the society’s drug-trafficking problem), but rarely is there any insight into why she was compelled to do what she did. The movie gives examples of a bit of investigative work, meeting with local connections, and being threatened for her revelatory pieces, as well as her own superiors’ warnings to drop the hounding out fear of harm (“You get used to cold water, not bullets,” or, “Stop this — write about fashion”), but the psychology of Guerin’s drive is never a consideration into this probe. So it seems while I want to understand her battle against the druglords — beyond that of just being the underdog who won’t take no for an answer — Joel Schumacher is more interested in portraying her as a martyr, a hero, a saint, wringing out the towel for every drop of pathos and sentiment the thing can get. His direction all the way along amounts to no more than a clunky, clumsy attempt at a TV Spotlight of the Week special (appropriately using a sappy, awful musical score). Though Cate Blanchett does a fair job in the role, even she cannot lift it outside of the vying pool of “award consideration” roles, instead being displayed as a trophy who is remembered for her role as dying, and not what Guerin really died for.[Not to be bothered with.]
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