Director: Steven Sodenbergh
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 131
minutes
Year:
2000
Starring: Julia
Roberts, Albert Finney, Aaron Eckhart, Marg Helgenberger, Cherry Jones,
Conchata Ferrell
Description: An unemployed
single mother (Erin Brockovich) becomes a legal assistant and almost
single-handedly brings down a California power company accused of polluting a
city’s water supply.
Review: Good
fact-based drama without many special moments, which nevertheless managed to
surpass the level of the average TV movie of the week. This mainly thanks to
the clear direction of Steven Sodenbergh the acting of Julia Roberts and Albert
Finney, the fine camera work and the music by Thomas Newman. This largely
compensates for the straightforward screenplay, which deviates from the beaten
path only once in a while. The film has undeniably become Roberts’ film. At
first glance, her character appears to be a stereotypical “white trash” woman,
with three children from two different fathers, showing cleavage and wearing
ultra-short skirts. But it’s Robert’s
credit that she manages to make it a believable woman. After she gets
into an accident and she loses the lawsuit, Erin persuades her lawyer Ed Masrey
to give her a job at his office.
There, she finds herself on
the trail of a major scandal when she dives deeper into a real estate issue and
talks to Donna Jensen. She has been diagnosed with cancer and her husband and
children have also fallen ill. A nearby concern Pacific Gas & Electric
(PG&E) wants to buy their house, but has also paid the doctor’s fees. Erin finds
this strange and begins to investigate the matter. Soon many more people turn
out to be sick, and their stories are shocking and moving without becoming sentimental.
Roberts manages to portray Erin’s drive and charm beautifully, so that the
viewer even understands when her children begin to miss her presence, as well
as het new lover George.
Despite PG&E’s
outrageous practices and the tactics they employ to delay or sabotage the case
there are also funny moments, particularly in the altercations between Roberts
and Finney. For balance, it would have been even more enjoyable of Finney had
gotten more one-liners instead of exclusively with Roberts.
I always love watching this
movie, because it’s such an inspiring story. Erin made such a difference in so
many people’s lives.
Rating: 4/
5
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