Erin Brockovich (2000) by John Sylva Rating: A
Sheryl Crow's hit song "Every Day is a Winding Road" couldn't be more appropriate to play in the end scenes and credits of the emotional powerhouse "Erin Brockovich." Steve Soderbergh's follow up to the 1999 thriller "The Limey" is an amazing, profound motion picture that will leave you in awe. The title character of the flawless film is a heroine, a role model for the new century- An unemployed single mother of three who eventually becomes responsible for the largest money settlement in a direct action legal suit in American history. Soderbergh shows his strongest outing as a filmmaker yet with his sharp, fast paced direction, and shows potential for many remarkable films in years to come. Soderbergh's film showcases the best acting performance to date from who could arguably be called the world's biggest movie star, Julia Roberts, and a memorable, astounding performance from British actor Albert Finney.
The highly energized must-see film stars Julia Roberts as the title character of Erin Brockovich, an energetic, charismatic character who supports her three children alone, without a cent coming in. Knowing there are bills to pay, and children to feed, Erin applies- more demands- a job at a privately owned legal firm in California, headed by Ed Masry (Albert Finney). Reluctantly, he keeps Erin as an employee, but little does he know that she will soon become the most successful woman he will most likely ever work with. While reading through a few court cases, Erin finds the fact that blood samples and medical records are being incorporated into a real estate case, so she decides to look into the subject a few steps- more like a mile- further. Without knowing her true intention, Mr. Masry allows her to head out to Hinkley, California, where she will discover that a large utility company, PG&E, is responsible for the contamination of drinking water in the entire city, which has resulted in hundreds of fatal sicknesses. Eventually, Erin teams up with her boss to take the company to court, which results in the largest settlement in a direct-action legal lawsuit in American History- 333 million dollars turned over from the multi-billion dollar company.
Julia Roberts is a knockout as her offbeat character, showing her strong acting skills are far from dead. Roberts takes on a much more serious, dramatic turn as Erin Brockovich, much more so than she did in the double line up of 1999 romantic comedies, "Runaway Bride" and "Notting Hill." Roberts brings such dramatic and emotional tension to the screen, her performance is stunningly overwhelming- A sure bet for next year's Oscars. As her sidekick of sorts, Albert Finney also gives a top notch performance, delivering some of the film's best lines and laughs. In supporting areas, Aaron Eckhart provides a strong character as boyfriend of Erin, and Marg Helgenberger does equally as well as a victim of the contaminated water.
Never feeling forced or generic, "Erin Brockovich" owes a great deal to its screenplay, penned by "Ever After" scribe Susannah Grant. Grant paces the happenings in the film well, always keeping the viewer on edge as to where Brockovich's ambitions will lead her next. Unlike many legal dramas, "Brockovich" doesn't plod along, but races full throttle, straight to the finish line.
"Erin Brockovich" is a film that is fully aware over the power it has over the viewer. It consistently delivers the perfect line, the perfect facial expression, or the perfect set of musical notes at a certain spot in the movie, bringing a whimsical spell across the viewer. As stated earlier, "Every Day is a Winding Road" couldn't be more suitable for the film. Every day in the life of our main personae is a winding road- complex, unpredictable, fun, and provocative. The same goes for the film, as "Brockovich" is certainly a winding road. You don't want the credits to ever roll. It entirely hooks you, sucking you right into its enticing story line and 3-D characters. You can't get enough of the dramatic tension, the masterfully developed characters, the well timed one liners, and the one thing that you really can't get enough of is, Erin Brockovich.
The Bottom Line: Strong performances from Julia Roberts, Albert Finney, and perfect direction and writing make "Brockovich" a stunner.
Film reviewed March 14, 2000.
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