Veronica Guerin (2003)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Joel Schumacher

Writers (WGA):

Carol Doyle (story)
Carol Doyle (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

17 October 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Why would anyone want to kill Veronica Guerin?

Plot:

An Irish journalist is assassinated by drug dealers she wrote about in a series of stories.

Plot Keywords:

Journalist | Veronica Guerin | Drug Lord | Drug Dealer | Reporter

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 3 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Cate Blanchett	...	Veronica Guerin
Gerard McSorley	...	John Gilligan
Ciarán Hinds	...	John Traynor
Brenda Fricker	...	Bernie Guerin
Don Wycherley	...	Chris Mulligan
Barry Barnes	...	Graham Turley
Simon O'Driscoll	...	Cathal Turley
Emmet Bergin	...	Aengus Fanning
Charlotte Bradley	...	Anne Harris
Mark Lambert	...	Willie Kealy
Garrett Keogh	...	Tony Gregory
Maria McDermottroe	...	Geraldine Gilligan
Paudge Behan	...	Brian Meehan
Joe Hanley	...	Eugene 'Dutchie' Holland
David Murray	...	Charles Bowden

Also Known As:

Chasing the Dragon: The Veronica Guerin Story (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, language and some drug content.

Runtime:

98 min | USA:92 min

Country:

USA | Ireland | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Indonesia:Dewasa | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Australia:M (TV rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Brazil:16 | Canada:14A | Finland:K-15 | Germany:12 (w) | Ireland:15PG | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R (certificate #39463)

Filming Locations:

Dublin Airport, County Dublin, Ireland

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

The Irish Film Censor, who passed the film with a 15PG (now defunct, but equal to 15A) certificate, acknowledged on the official Film Censor website, that had this film been fiction, or of any other plot source than it was, it would probably have received an 18 certificate.

Goofs:

Factual errors: During the epilogue, it is claimed that in an emergency Parliament session, the Government altered the Constitution. This is inaccurate for two reasons. Firstly, no such amendment of the Constitution occurred. Secondly, when an amendment is made, the Government alone does not have the authority to enact it: it may only propose such amendments to the people, in the form of a referendum.

Quotes:

Veronica Guerin: You'd do the same. If you saw those kids on the street, you would do the same.

Movie Connections:

References Gone with the Wind (1939)

Soundtrack:

Aftermath

Not for the faint-hearted or squeamish...

Back in the 1990s, I recall reading news articles about a feisty journalist who was writing stories about the drug problems in Dublin. Occasionally, I'd see another article, and was impressed by the strength and character of the writer. Then, in 1996, I read a long magazine story about Veronica Guerin and how she died.

So, this is a movie I really wanted to see...

Joel Schumacher has produced/directed many good movies, and this one must come near the top for me.

There is no preaching, no histrionics, no proselytizing, no hype – just a relatively short account of how this woman decided to do something about the kids dying in the streets, and about the difficulties she faced in trying to get authorities to stem, or stop, the flow of drugs into the city. Just an ordinary woman who did the extraordinary...

The cinematography of the dirty streets and kids is gritty, as you would expect, contrasting very well with the opulence enjoyed by the major drug pushers of the upper establishment in the Dublin area.

The violence – and there's plenty of it – is short, sharp, vicious and all too realistic: when one drug gang eliminates another, when an informer is tortured, when Veronica is subjected to the most savage personal beating I've seen on film, and when she is finally assassinated.

Couple all of that with a performance by Blanchett worthy of an Oscar, closely followed by Gerard McSorley as John Gilligan, whose evil must be seen to fully appreciate the performance of this fine actor, and rounded off with Ciaran Hinds as John Traynor, who simply excels in his performance as the slime-ball to end all slime-balls – and you have a film that keeps you riveted to your seat, wondering how is it that one person can be so brave in the face of such depravity.

It's a very depressing film because you know what is coming, you know that a horrible death comes as the end. But, it is also an uplifting story that proves, beyond measure, that good people can prevail against the bad elements that exist in all societies, even though some do pay the ultimate price.

If there is one movie you see this year, see this one.