‘Veronica Guerin’ is moving

JIM ERWIN

One of the sad things about Irish culture is that the word hero is

often accompanied by the word dead. “Veronica Guerin” is the story of

an Irish newspaper reporter who was assassinated in 1996. She wrote

for the nation’s most popular newspaper, “The Sunday Independent,”

and was killed for her work investigating Ireland’s drug barons.

Guerin is the first newspaper reporter to be murdered in Ireland. The

movie that carries her name is a brilliantly acted portrayal of why

the Irish mafia decided that a reporter had to be permanently

silenced.

In the opening scene Guerin (Cate Blanchett) is gunned down behind

the wheel of her car on the Naas Road in Dublin. This doesn’t leave

any room for doubt about how this movie is going to end. The story

then jumps back in time to show the events that led to her murder.

The movie’s focus is Guerin’s relentless pursuit of the people

responsible for importing heroin into Ireland, and how her refusal to

back away from the story resulted in her death.

The tone is set early by images of Guerin walking past small

children playing with syringes left in the street. This provides the

setup the movie’s main questions. Is it acceptable to just walk past

all of this and ignore it? Who’s job is it to protect our children?

Are you part of the problem or part of the solution? The bad

neighborhoods look dark and lifeless, even in the daytime, but

Blanchett’s warm skin tones provide a contrast that tells us Guerin

is strong enough to change things.

Almost immediately we learn that Guerin’s style is to confront

people and situations directly. She walks into the shooting galleries

to ask the teenage junkies where they get their money and their

drugs. Asking the local mob under boss to buy her a drink is just

part of the job. She’s no stranger to brothels, bad neighborhoods or

the doorsteps of men who viciously murder their enemies. Guerin’s

combination of courage and recklessness give her the scoop she needs

to tell stories, but also makes her a liability for the aristocratic

mobsters who prefer to lead quiet lives.

This movie is getting early Oscar buzz including statues for best

picture and Blanchett’s portrayal of Guerin. Blanchett’s performance

is yet another example of why she’s one the best actresses working in

cinema. Her supporting cast are equally amazing, but this movie is a

showcase for Blanchett. As Guerin she shows us a woman who’s cocky,

witty, vulnerable, fearful, completely in love with her husband and

child and totally controlled by her obsession to do what she

considers to be the right thing. She brings out the complexities of a

vibrant tomboy who’s self-esteem depends on beating the boys, but

needs to choose a just cause to justify her competitive nature.

Don’t mistake “Veronica Guerin” for a documentary. Director Joel

Schumacher’s previous work shows how he’s in love with cliches. His

story of Saint Veronica versus the Irish mob has only black and white

characters, good guys and bad guys. The only shades of gray are in

the overcast Irish skies. On the other hand, Schumacher isn’t

responsible for creating the myth and martyrdom of Veronica Guerin.

All of that existed before this movie was made. His movie just

reflects those emotions. Everyone in Ireland knows where they were

the moment they heard Veronica Guerin had been murdered.

The scenes of Guerin’s funeral procession feature a gorgeously

heart-wrenching song performed by Sinead O’Conner. You could argue

that the music is just emotional manipulation, and it is, but the

song is also pretty typical of Irish funeral songs. When you hear a

very pretty Irish melody the words are usually sad and there’s always

a good chance they have something to do with death.

“Veronica Guerin” is rated R because of language, some violence

and a couple of scenes of junkies sticking a needle in their arm.

This is a movie that parents should take their mature teen children

to see. Parents should give their kids an occasional dose of decent

culture and this movie will provide plenty of fodder for discussion

during the car ride home. This is a movie that everyone should rush

to see and then watch over and over on DVD.

* JIM ERWIN, 40, is a technical writer and computer trainer.