AniInterview Sorry, this movie sucks

Comwayon A Disappointing Continuation

Asad Almond A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

mattkratz This was a great movie as it focuses on on the "human" side of the title character's fight. I like how they focus on her family, relationship with her neighbor, the fight, and her being fired from her job, and her in general. The best part is that is was all true! Julia Roberts is the perfect choice to play EB. I loved the movie.*** out of ****

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!

poe-48833 I saw ERIN BROCKOVICH mere days before I saw Erin Brockovich and, while definitely worthwhile, the movie often focuses too much on the woman behind the case and not quite enough on the particulars of the case itself... much like what happened when she arrived here in wilmington, north carolina, to address 300 concerned citizens regarding Dupont's dumping of carcinogenic chemicals into the Cape Fear River (the source of drinking water for 250,000 north carolinians). Alongside a "water expert" who spouted indecipherable gobbledygook for the better part of an hour and a half, Brockovich said, in essence, that it's all up to US to get things Right (the Mayor of wilmington, who owns a construction company, didn't bother to show up at this Public Meeting- perhaps because he'd gotten wind of something that Brockovich revealed to us that night: that there's a pipeline like the infamous North Dakota Access Pipeline about to begin construction HERE, before long). Like we ain't got enough problems, already... Crack Town- wilmington- has been referred to as "Ground Zero" for the opioid epidemic in this company (the so-called "united" $tate$ of ameriKa), with a reported 13% of wilmingtonians hooked on opioids (my guesstimate is much higher- 40-50%-, based on personal interactions I've had with many of the locals over the past two decades). When I arrived here, the then-governor was in the process of accepting a bribe of half a million dollars from the local Nuclear Regulatory Commission to allow them to dump Nuclear Waste into the Cape Fear River. (There was no follow-up investigation, as far as I know.) I've personally seen men openly armed with handguns in grocery stores, gyms, pawn shops and shopping mall parking lots hereabouts and the sight never fails to give me pause. The "housing" DE-Construction going on to accommodate the projected 65,000 newcomers to Crack Town over the next 10-15 years is causing even worse flooding than ever (my own used bookstore was flooded nearly 20 years ago). The bottom line: the denizens of Crack Town are up S--t Creek, without a paddle... News of some small comfort: Brockovich also told us that all of the water fountains in Washington have DON'T DRINK THE WATER! THE WATER IS POISON! signs on them. At least we're not alone...