Cast: Cate Blanchett, Gerard McSorley, Ciaran Hinds, Brenda Fricker, Don Wycherley, Alan Devine, Gerry O'Brien
Director: Joel Schumacher
Producer: Jerry Bruckheimer
Screenplay: Carol Doyle and Mary Agnes Donoghue
Cinematography: Brendan Galvin
Music: Harry Gregson-Williams
U.S. Distributor: Touchstone Pictures
The average based-on-a-true-story motion picture falls into one of two categories: unimaginative exploitation or would-be Oscar contender. The most recent film with designs on membership in the latter group is Veronica Guerin, the Joel Schumacher-directed, Jerry Bruckheimer-produced story of the Irish reporter who was murdered in 1996 when her investigations ruffled the feathers of one too many crime bosses. For 90 minutes, this is an effective look at the attempts of a dedicated wife and mother to make a difference. However, in an effort to soften the tragic ending and make Guerin's death seem more noble, the screenplay forces us to endure a five minute epilogue in which all the bad guys are rounded up and thrown in jail, and the war on drugs in Dublin is declared to be won. What a way to nearly spoil an otherwise compelling motion picture!
Veronica Guerin chronicles the last two years in the lead character's life as she movies from writing "safe" stories for her newspaper to delving into organized crime. The catalyst that transforms Guerin (Cate Blanchett) from a bystander to an activist is visiting a Dublin neighborhood and seeing children playing with disused heroin needles. She begins to name names and attempt to interview some dangerous people: Martin Cahill (Gerry O'Brien), the infamous "General;" Gerry "The Monk" Hutch (Alan Devine); John Traynor (Ciaran Hinds), a.k.a. "The Coach;" and, most dangerous of all, John Gilligan (Gerard McSorley). After receiving warnings about sticking her nose where it doesn't belong, Veronica begins to receive more tangible reminders - threats to her family, a gunshot in the leg, a vicious beating, and, eventually, a hail of bullets that ends her career and life. Her June 26, 1996 death made newspapers around the world, and she became one of the most famous journalists killed in the line of duty.
For most of the film, Schumacher gets things right. His approach is straightforward and doesn't require any fancy photographic trickery. (The film also makes a nice companion piece to John Boorman's The General, with Brendan Gleeson as Cahill.) Schumacher also doesn't shy away from depicting violence. The unexpected, brutal beating that Veronica receives at the hands of one of her quarries is especially effective because it is shocking. Veronica Guerin builds the lead character into a three-dimensional woman, not just a righteous crusader. In one scene, we see Veronica crying in her husband's arms because she's frightened of what might happen to her. The epilogue is a mistake, but not an unforgivable one, and, despite the irritating dirge, it does not undo all the good things that come before it.
With this movie, Cate Blanchett adds another fine performance to her resume. She effortlessly brings Veronica's passion and courage to the fore, while also depicting her as loving mother, wife, and daughter, and by showing the very human side of her that fears the demons she has unleashed. As her main adversary, John Gilligan, Gerard McSorley is a frightening individual, and there's not a thing about his performance that's campy or over the top. No recent villain, real or imaginary, has unsettled me this much, and much of the credit for that must go to McSorley (who usually plays more genial parts).
The film is an unusual crime story in that Veronica's lone weapon is a pen, and the only way she can fight back is by writing articles. Frankly, she doesn't do much during the course of the movie except ask questions and solicit comments. This isn't a detective story; Veronica's investigations are incomplete at the time of her murder. She doesn't match up well against the men who are after her, and it's something of a miracle that she survives for as long as she does. For the most part, this is a memorable portrayal of a woman who doggedly pursued, and died for, an ideal. And, although the final pre-credits sequence transforms Veronica Guerin into a martyr, the rest of the film shows her as a flawed, believable human being.
© 2003 James Berardinelli