Inclubabu
Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.
Aneesa Wardle
The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.
Paul J. Nemecek
Erin Brockovich is a modern-day David vs. Goliath story with a few notable exceptions. The villainous behemoth in this version is a faceless corporate conglomerate. The hero is a sassy, brassy, less-than-classy female with a prominently featured chassis. In the basic elements of the story line, this is a story we have heard before. The crusader vs. the corporation is a dominant theme in The China Syndrome, A Civil Action, and this year's Oscar nominee The Insider. The version where the "good guy" is a female working-class hero is the basic theme of Norma Rae and Silkwood. Like these latter films, Erin Brockovich is based on a real character and a real-life incident.Erin Brockovich is a twice-divorced mother with kids who finagles her way into a job working for the lawyer who lost her case in a civil trial. Erin is feisty, determined, independent, and mouthy. These very traits that get her into trouble with co-workers, friends, and family members are the traits that prove to be her greatest assets as a secretary turned paralegal. What makes the character sympathetic is her caring. She does not always show it well, but beneath the tough exterior is a woman with a heart of gold who cares deeply about her kids and is passionately committed to the families affected by corporate neglect.Julia Roberts is well-suited for the "brassy broad with a heart-of-gold" role. Consider her past performances in Pretty Woman (hooker with a heart of gold), Notting Hill (superstar with a heart of gold), and My Best Friend's Wedding (scheming, conniving, two-faced backstabber with a heart of gold). How could she miss?What distinguishes this film from films like Norma Rae or Silkwood however, is the witty script by screenwriter Susannah Grant. Grant was the screenwriter for Pocahantas, Ever After, and 28 Days. What these films have in common is strong-willed independent female characters. Here the synthesis of Brockovich's character, Grant's writing, and Julia Roberts' persona all work together like a charm. The best way to turn an old formula into a good film is through distinctive characters. The characters and their relationships are the real heart of this film.As a result, the film is much lighter in tone than Norma Rae or Silkwood. There are moments of high drama, but the film really shines in its humor and wit. Albert Finney is delightful as Ed Masry, Erin's boss. Julia Roberts turns in what may prove to be the best performance of her career as a working-class mom who refuses to stay down for the count. Director Steven Soderbergh (Out of Sight, The Limey) handles the material well and the pacing of the film is nearly perfect.Corporate neglect will become an increasingly important topic as evidenced by events in Seattle last year. By some estimates, there may be as many as 100,000 deaths per year (four times the homicide rate) as a result of "corporate crime." Erin Brockovich manages to raise the issue in a context that is neither preachy nor smug. But in the end this is not an issue film, but a character study, and what a character she is! Both thumbs up for Erin Brockovich.
shuvo_rai-67806
I don't know how accurate this film is to the real lawsuit, but it was played out very well, that you could understand the reason behind the lawsuit with the need of any prior knowledge. Julia Roberts did a fantastic job in portraying Erin Brockovich, which was quite different from her usual comedy romance style of acting. However, I felt there were two much emphasis on her sexual attractiveness and being a single mother with 3 kids and without a job, she seemed to have quite an unrealistic amount of wardrobe. Julia Roberts, although having a talent in talking the neighbors into signing for the lawsuit, she seemed ungrateful and rude to other people like George (Aaron Eckhart), who selflessly took care of her kids day and night. I don't know if Erin's ungratefulness was based on true story, but it seemed unnecessary and out of place. Also Erin Brockovich is dyslexic in real life which allowed her to remember phone numbers by memory, but in the movie it wasn't quite rooted except the occasional "slow-reader" reference, which adds to the confusion. Albert Finney (Ed Masry) did a great job as well all throughout the movie.Overall, I find this movie very well-done and the acting stellar. And if you were looking for another Julia Roberts comedy romance, you're in for a surprise!
Hitchcoc
Julia Roberts is not my favorite actress. She has hung on to a star that was sort of thrust on her from a movie that is not all that great, "Pretty Woman." This, supposedly, established an edginess for her, though her character had literally no connection to a true prostitute. With all that said, I think she did fine in this film. I know that some have said that this has all been done before. So crusading for people victimized by humorless industrial entities has been done before. The strength, however, is in the specifics. Brokavich, a real person, found herself in the midst of a nasty situation. She makes a discovery that sets in motion a huge lawsuit where she is put to the test.
lkaplans
Although filmed sixteen years ago, Erin Brockovich (Julia Roberts) was and is the modern day "badass" persona that every woman secretly has dwelling inside of her. No filter for her language or sense of professional style, Erin is headstrong, determined, self-motivated, and frankly could not care less about the opinions of others. Based on a true story, I would give the film 3.5 stars and describe it as a drama comedy. Set in Los Angles and Hickley, California, Erin serves as both an inspiration and real life story of the American dream, motivating the viewers that with passion and hard work, anything can be achieved. Erin's cry for financial desperation and her unique sense of humor is portrayed in the opening scene of the film where she is applying to a medical job that she clearly has no experience in, but this shows how much Erin is unafraid of rejection and humiliation. Erin's strong confidence stems from her ability to have raised three children without the support of a man, and it is her confidence that allows her to poke her nose where most people wouldn't dare to. Erin's life is shown as a plummeting spiral that one can do nothing but empathize with or simply laugh at- Erin has no income, three young children, no money in her bank account, a neck brace, and an attitude that has got her nothing but trouble. Simple activities like feeding her children or even just being in the house are over intensified because Erin is so dissatisfied with her life. Erin finally lands a job in Ed Masry's (Albert Finney) office, which is the first positive change in her soon to be completely different life. She seems out of place and disliked, but that doesn't stop her from earning her place of respect. Erin's relationship with Masry turns from disgust and hatred to a fulfilling, meaningful friendship while also being business partners. Erin's stance for her originality and blunt difference from the other personas in the movie is what makes her such a fascinating protagonist. Even when Masry asks her to rethink her wardrobe, Erin shoots back at him with "maybe you should rethink your ties." A love interest occurs, like in all Hollywood dramas, but her boldness aids her in shooting down the bearded biker neighbor by the name of George (Aaron Eckhart) that would like to be more than just neighbors, even though love is the last thing on Erin's mind. Her bluntness is what makes her such an attention grabber and has people listen to what she has to say even though she has no formal professional schooling and acts far from how an employee would act in a law firm. Erin stumbles upon the records of Donna Jensen, who lives in Hinkley, and is perplexed as to why Donna's medical records are included in her real estate files. Finding this odd and unsettling, Erin takes this task into her own hands. Erin's personal search for Donna turns into something more than just completing her regular reception job, it becomes a passionate obsession that Erin is determined to get to the bottom of. Erin sets out to determine the significance and relevance of the medical records that were correlated with other real estate files. It's not obvious what exactly ignited the passion and concern in Erin to set out on her own to investigate these random real estate files, but this curiosity begins a long journey to attempt to provide justice to the residence of a small town in Hinkley, California. With the help of her wit and feminine beauty, Erin is able to dig through the water records of a notorious company by the name of PG & E, which may have something to do with the health of the residences surrounding the town of Hickley.As Erin's care for the families of Hickley grows deeper, her own personal life becomes more significant, fulfilling, and mature. Erin develops a deep and true care for the lives and well being of these people, no longer for a need of financial desperation, but for a need to do good unto others that have been unluckily touched by the illegal doings of big money companies. Erin gets to know the residences of Hickley on a far personal level and induces pathos in the audience. The film is not a full five star rating because although it's interesting it is just not a film that I would re-watch years from now or highly recommend to a friend. Although, it does accurately depict and raise awareness to the true events that happened in Hickley, there were many parts that caused me to be disengaged. Overall, the film is much more dramatic than the average documentary but allows the audience to be inspired by the determination of Erin Brockovich to do what's right while also improving her life.
