Based on a true story, Veronica Guerin stars Kate Blanchett as a fearless crime reporter whose mission to expose the driving forces behind Ireland's mid-1990s drug epidemic, results in her murder.
Veronica takes a trip to a known drug area where dirty needles litter the streets on which the children play and zombie eyed kids shoot up on the floors of filthy apartment corridors. At that point, the prominent journalist begins her search for those responsible.
But the drug pushers are a dangerous lot to expose, threatening Veronica first with a bullet through her home window and eventually with another through her leg. The determined journalist is shaken up, but continues her quest unafraid as she comes closer to finding her target, John Gilligan (Gerard McSorley), the leader of the pack.
When Veronica seeks out Gilligan for questioning at his sprawling estate, the man bashes in her face and forces the woman into her car and off of his property. Shortly after she arrives home, Veronica's phone rings and Gilligan is on the other line threatening to rape her son and then kill her if she writes one word about him. She presses charges, but the case is extended.
Days later, Veronica is murdered in her car while stopped at an intersection in broad daylight. A masked motorcyclist breaks her window and fires 6 rounds at point-blank range, instantly taking her life.
Ireland was shaken by the death of their beloved Sunday Independent reporter, Veronica Guerin, who was the country's first journalist ever murdered. And the resulting shock wave was followed by Ireland's largest criminal investigation, which resulted in over 150 arrests and the formation of the Criminal Assets Bureau that could seize the property of suspected organized crime members.
Bitterly realistic and extremely powerful, Veronica Guerin sucks the audience into the bloody drug world without sugarcoating or exaggerating the hard truth. There is not a lot of standard movie action and no romanticized drug lord duels. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer (Pearl Harbor, Black Hawk Down) shows us a glimpse of horror, not unlike the one Guerin herself experienced.
Director Joel Schumacher (Phone Booth, A Time to Kill) sets up a scene in which Cate Blanchett transforms herself. The actress does not play Veronica, but rather becomes her. Everything from the look in Blanchett's eyes to the persistence in her voice demonstrate Guerin's relentless search for the truth.
And it wasn't just Blanchett who performed well. Ciaran Hinds, who played gang member Traynor, excels in his part as a seemingly harmless man overcome by fear and money and wreaking havoc in Guerin's life. But Guerrin's husband, Graham Turley (Barry Barnes), is a fairly weak figure in the movie, although he somewhat redeems himself in the end. Alan Devine also gives a wonderful performance as Gerry Hutch, "the monk".
On top of phenomenal acting, the soundtrack is quite noteworthy. Irish music adds a discreet sense of culture to the movie and weaves itself beautifully into the most powerful parts of the film. The scenery is beautiful at times, but for the most part focuses on the drab surroundings of an industrialized city adorned only with graffiti.
I can honestly say that Veronica Guerin borders upon perfection. At times I found the character's thick Irish brogues to be a little confusing to the ear. But it was a small price to pay for a film of such authenticity.
Most movies usually merit a complaint, or many, but Veronica Guerin escapes criticism by presenting a realistic, powerful account of the woman who gave her country the truth, at the cost of her life.
Katie McDevitt is a reporter for the Web Devil. Reach her at kathleen.mcdevitt@asu.edu.