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VERONICA GUERIN Send This Review to a Friend
Joel Schumacher's sizzling "Veronica Guerin," which I saw at the Toronto International Film Festival, tells the story of the principled Irish journalist who persisted in exposing drug dealers in Dublin despite threats to her life and to her family. She ended up the victim of assassination. The no-nonsense screenplay, written by Carol Doyle and Mary Agnes Donaghue based on a story by Doyle, crackles with tension and the film is driven by a vigorous, impassioned and convincing performance by Cate Blanchett in the title role. The star captures the determination of Guerin and yet also shows fear and vulnerability, which make the heroism all the more believable.
The story is based on the facts of the case, and Guerin's murder resulted in special attention paid to getting rid of the drug kingpins whose rule she was reporting. Details about what happened to the real-life characters are flashed on screen at the end. Blanchett stands to be considered for awards for this one, as it ranks as one of the best performances by an actress in 2003. Gerard McSorley turns in a properly nasty performance as Guerin's arch enemy.
The film takes on special value in calling attention to an international problem, that of the large number of journalists killed in reprisal for their reporting. Guerin is an especially good choice for a subject because she has personal appeal, emphasized by Blanchett in her vivid portrayal.
Since we know the outcome, there is no surprise, but the form of the film is a thriller in which we watch a heroine battle the drug dealers with journalistic fervor, damn the consequences. The filmmakers play it straight, not indulging in diversionary episodes to expand on Guerin's life. In this film, although she is married with a child, she's on a one-track mission--to expose the bad guys. It cost Guerin her life. A Touchstone Pictures release.
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