BY MAX COLSTON | Based on a true story, Veronica Guerin tells the story of an Irish journalist who goes through a living hell to exploit crime bosses and drug runners in 1996 Dublin. The film stars Cate Blanchett, Gerard McSorley, and Ciaran Hinds.

EXPECTATIONS

What I'd Seen

Aside from its lame poster and trailer, I hadn't really seen any publicity for this film. No TV, Internet, or magazine ads...nothing.

What I'd Heard

Not much in this department, either. I heard Ebert and Roeper gave it two thumbs up and that some people thought it was Cate Blanchett's best performance, but other that that...also nothing.

What I Wanted

Since I had never actually heard of the real Veronica Guerin and her story, I really wanted to be taken through an all-out journey through what she had to go through and how she exposed these criminals.

EXPERIENCE

What Turned Me On

I guess if there's anything good about this film, it's Cate Blanchett's performance, even though I really didn't understand her character. Blanchett plays Guerin with a certain flare and style, and I think Blanchett is one of our greatest actresses. But it's the lack of character development that ultimately threw me off.

What Turned Me Off

What's up with Joel Schumacher? I find this man very odd. One minute he can make an excellent film, and the next, he spits up a piece of crap like this. After redeeming himself from the last two Batman films with Tigerland, Phone Booth, and 8mm (a film which everybody hated except me), I had thought this man had finally gone back to making good movies. But no...I was wrong.

For one thing, I never fully understood Veronica Guerin. Why she kept on putting herself and her family in danger I'll never know. The script, written by Carol Doyle and Mary Agnes Donoghue, never produces a full reason why she does these things. Is it worth dying for? Does she want to die? You never find out.

I also found the film extremely repetitious. Schumacher repeatedly shoots himself in the foot by practically playing the same scene over, and over, and over again. It felt like he was trying to cram into our heads that Veronica Guerin was a real ballsy journalist, which I agree with. But I got that point within the first 15 minutes of the film.

Lines Worth Repeating

Colin Farrell, after learning a woman could know so much about soccer: "Well, fuck me pink."

Never Saw That Before

Little kids finding used syringes on the ground and playing with them. Very disturbing.

Fidget Factor

Very large. I was ready to go within the first half hour of the film. Even though it only runs at a short 95 minutes, it still feels too long.

AFTERMATH

I left thinking...well, Schumacher can add another film to what some people call his "shitlist".

I left saying...I'm gonna have to go watch Pulp Fiction again to make up for that one.

Expiry Date

If you still want to check this film out even after reading this review, go right ahead. But you better hurry. Due to a lack of publicity and bad word-of-mouth, I'm guessing it will be gone faster than "Dickie Roberts".

When it comes out on DVD, I highly suggest that you rent something else. Even if you've already seen it a bazillion times. It's better for others to get ripped off than you.