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Chalk up another triumph for Cate Blanchett, who's absolutely sensational as a plucky Dublin reporter single-handedly taking on the Irish Mafia in the mid-'90s. Since this film first hit theater screens, it has been noted that the real-life Veronica Guerin wasn't nearly as charming as her cinematic counterpart, and that many historical details were embellished or fabricated outright to make more compelling entertainment. Nonetheless, in broad outline the story is true to the facts: Guerin exposed drug-peddling mobsters in Dublin and paid a terrible price for her activism. Blanchett plays the reporter as a nimble-minded, fast-talking, indefatigable newshound who seems to value a journalistic scoop far more than her long-suffering family. Dependable character actor Ciarian Hinds shines as the gangster who doubles as Guerin's informant, and Gerard McSorley contributes a truly blood-chilling turn as the explosive crime lord who vows to exact revenge on the reporter for her interference. Though seemingly out of his element in Dublin's mean streets, director Joel Schumacher skillfully replicates the seedy settings in which most the story unfolds, and he coaxes fine performances from all the supporting players. But he also gives Blanchett plenty of room, which pays off with a dynamic star turn that in coming years will surely rank among this talented performer's very best. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Joel Schumacher take on the real-life story of an assassinated Irish journalist in the dramatic thriller Veronica Guerin. Cate Blanchett appears as the title character, a relentless crime reporter for The Sunday Independent during the early '90s. Guerin's violent murder in 1996 led to a revision of Ireland's laws and the creation of the Criminal Assets Bureau. The movie picks up with her pursuit of the underground drug trade in Dublin, which she suspects is led by mobster Martin "The General" Cahill (Gerry O'Brien). When Cahill's gang is attacked, she suspects mobster Gerry "The Monk" Hutch (Alan Devine) is responsible. Not deterred by threats or gunshot wounds, she uses thug John Traynor (Ciarán Hinds) as an informer to help out her investigation of psychotic mobster John Gilligan (Gerard McSorley). Schumacher's protégé Colin Farell appears in a small role. Andrea LeVasseur

Product Details

• UPC: 786936226386
• Source: WALT DISNEY VIDEO
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Cinemascope (2.35:1)
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: DTS 5.1-Channel Surround Sound, THX-Supervised Mastering, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• Language: English, Français
• Subtitles: English, Español
• Time: 1:38:00
• Sales Rank: 15,097

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