neumu [ cinematronic ]




	Veronica Guerin
	Joel Schumacher Cate Blanchett, Gerard McSorley, Ciarán Hinds, Brenda Fricker 2003		The docudrama, as a formal genre, is always a short tumble away from being slapdash or exploitive, particularly when aspiring to the topical. With that caveat in mind, "Veronica Guerin" is an emotionally satisfying biographical film, by virtue of a typically accomplished performance by actress Cate Blanchett in the title role. Blanchett is a changeling who has convincingly played everything from historical figures ("Elizabeth") to modern-day slatterns ("The Shipping News") to fairies ("Lord of the Rings"). Here, she slips into the skin of an authentic, courageous-to-the-point-of-reckless Irish journalist renowned for her investigative stories about the drug lords of Dublin in the mid-1990s. Guerin, a devoted wife and mother, was belittled for her naïveté by more cynical colleagues. Still, she plowed ahead in her mission to expose the pushers, risking her life in the process. Relying on information conveyed to her by a friendly mobster, she'd uncover criminal activity before the police did, and she became a national heroine for her efforts. Director Joel Schumacher ("Phone Booth") succumbs to excess sentiment in the telling, but his intentions are honorable, and Blanchett's vivid Veronica is an inspiration.