| Veronica Guerin | | Cast : | Cate Blanchett, Ciarán Hinds, Brenda Fricker | | Director : | Joel Schumacher | | Studio : | Buena Vista Home Vid | | Format : | Color | | Released Date : | October 17, 2003 | | DVD Released Date : | April 05, 2005 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), English (Original Language), Spanish (Subtitled) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | March 26, 2005 | | Summary | Violence, as viewed, from the other side. | Content
 | The story of Veronica Guerin is the story of violence & society; the brutishness of some of its scenes serves no entertainment quotient consequently, but to illustrate the reality of this societal affliction. We see violence on television and in the movies so much that, in large measure, we continually creep toward a fatalistic acceptance of it. Or we simply try not to concern ourselves with it so long as it does not directly affect us. Representations of it on the screen are viewed---we see someone shoot another, say, but the terror of such violence is rarely conveyed skillfully enough for us to actually feel as if we ourselves are the ones being subjected to such gastly behavior. That's the problem with Hollywood: it serves up platefuls of violence without inculcating in us viewers any revulsion to it. It's not real, anyway; It's the movies, or television, etc., goes the refrain. But violence ISN'T entertainment. If we are to be subjected to expressions of it, I'd argue, the least we should expect---except perhaps in military epics---is that the director should present it for what it is and/or attempt to at least show the horror of it from the victim's perspective. Is that too much to ask? Fortunately, director Joel Schumacher, in this film does just that. A particular scene in this biopic has reporter Veronica (most ably portrayed by Cate Blanchett) coming to knock on the door of a gangster. What follows, as you can well imagine, is a confrontational exchange. And the reason this film is a fine effort is that the rage of the (heretofore, under-the-radar) gangster is made as apparent herein as the fear with which his victim cowers from it. The scene is as unpleasant to watch as it is important for understanding what the real Veronica Guerin persevered through. And we---figuratively placed in her shoes thanks to skilled filmmakers---are left to ponder why, in fact, she continued to soldier on in the face of such; how she could recover from the blows she received---particularly the psychological one of almost being scared to death. (One can learn more about this scene which, incidentially---like most in this film---actually occurred, by listening to the director's audio commentary available on this DVD. The producer and writing team offer 2 additional commentaries for the especially interested.) Do consider this (more like 3½ star) film. And contrary to what the editorial review says above, the first attempt at making this story into a film---"When the Sky Falls"---is not half as successful as "Veronica Guerin." (04Nov) Cheers! |
| Rating | | | Date | March 15, 2005 | | Summary | biographical license | Content
| I did not know the story of Veronica Guerin in much detail before watching this film, so I don't know if Cate Blanchett's portrayal was accurate. Blanchett is a great actress and has taken on varying roles, including those of real people. By all accounts, whether or not this film presents a true to the facts version of the story, it does tell a story that was not incredibly well known outside its native Ireland when it happened and certainly brings it into international focus now, which is well deserved. Guerin was a fact digging journalist, who pursued her leads to get stories, and in the case of pursuing the drug underworld and Ireland's drug lords/"mafia" of sorts, she went too far. Guerin's drive to tell the truth about this growing epidemic created a stir, and her life was on several occasions threatened. Her family warned her to back down, the drug lords warned her to back down, her informant warned her too. She was playing with fire, but she did not back down, seeing her job as a journalist to tell the whole story, damn the consequences. Unfortunately she was assassinated in 1996, and outside of Ireland or within certain circles, the story was not well known until now. |
| Rating | | | Date | January 02, 2005 | | Summary | Passionate or Naive? | Content
| So this movie was supposed to be a depiction of real-life events in the life of an investigative reporter determined to expose the seedy underbelly of an organized crime group in Dublin. I don't mean any disrespect to Ms. Guerin or the work that she did for her country, but this movie doesn't do well depicting her motivations and life.
I cannot imagine how a woman who has been personally threatened, who has had her family threatened, and who has survived an assassination attempt, would continue to pursue her goal as dogmatically and as recklessly as Ms. Guerin did in this movie. I'm not saying she should have stopped what she was doing, but there had to have been other ways for her to get the story without as much personal risk to her and her family.
I crystallized this conclusion when I saw the scene where Ms. Guerin approaches Mr. Galligan, basically to top man in the crime syndicate, at his estate, which is expansive and includes a horse ranch. By this point Ms. Guerin has already been shot once (at her son's birthday party!) and had her family's life threatened. Yet she, without a wire or other police assistance, walks right up to Mr. Galligan's door and asks him point blank how he can afford his life when he no visible source of income. This of course results in her getting the crap kicked out of her. What did she expect, milk and cookies?
For all the chutzpah Ms. Guerin showed when approaching the crime lords face to face, I would have expected her to pull at least a Buffy or two. When you ask the cheeky questions in dangerous situations, you better either have a big bodyguard or be able to take care of yourself. She had neither, and, in a way, invited the physical abuse upon herself.
Again, I don't mean to put down Ms. Guerin's real-life accomplishment in terms of calling attention to the drug problem thus starting its eradication, but the Veronica Guerin portrayed in this film was no doubt meant to appear strong, confident, and passionate about her cause; she came across instead as headstrong and reckless, placing her and her family's life in jeopardy. |
| Rating | | | Date | October 13, 2004 | | Summary | Courage Will Echo Through the Power of the Pen... | Content
| The life of Veronica Guerin was full of hope, desire to improve the world, and a need to inform the public about the injustices and crimes of others that most dared not speak off. Veronica was a reporter for an Irish newspaper where she used to publish the results of her investigations . The investigative reports by Veronica were often laughed upon by other reporters, but the articles were also feared by those who were investigated. The truth had to be heard and Veronica was one of those brave souls that fought the war of injustice for those who could not through the power of the pen. The story of Veronica is based on a true story and her courage will echo through time as others like her are committed to spread the word of truth.
The story begins with Veronica (Cate Blanchett) being freed of charges as she had compiled a large number of speeding tickets. Veronica exits the courthouse and begins her drive home while calling her mother and a police officer to let them know that she is back on the road. When Veronica stops at a red light someone drives up next to her and crashes her window to her car. This is followed by a flashback to what lead up to the current event as Veronica followed up on a lead regarding the excessive amount of heavy drugs on the streets of Dublin.
The film depicts the dark side of Dublin before Veronica pushed the law enforcement into action. This is told in one long flashback that leads up to the current moment in the film. The location and mise-en-scene are powerful as they help depict a realistic setting for the film, which enhances the aesthetic atmosphere of the story. Cate Blanchett's performance is excellent as she is convincingly strong, yet delicately frail as she is submitted to highly stressful situations. In the end, the audience will experience a good cinematic experience, which is similar to the film When the Sky Falls (2000).
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| Rating | | | Date | July 23, 2004 | | Summary | very moving | Content
| this was such a stong, powerful movie that i just sat there in awe. i couldnt belive what i had just watched. the acting was awesome, but the story...was shocking. at the end i thought about what i had just seen and cried. a women, put herself on the line for the greater good, and lost her life in prosses. Cate Blanchett was so great in this role, as she is in all of her roles, but this takes the cake. |
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