Movie Poster

Okay, look, I think we got off on the wrong foot here...

That's all you got, lady. Two wrong feet in fucking ugly shoes.

# Review

I first saw this film in either middle or high school in one of the classes about social responsibility. The film is about Erin Brockovich (Julia Roberts), an unemployed, single mother of three who accidentally uncovers a paper trail from the town of Hinkley, California, which indicates that the utility giant PG&E has been covering up their role in the pollution of the local water. Brockovich takes up the cause of the Hinkley residents to keep PG&E accountable.

The supporting cast, which mainly include Brockovich’s boss Ed Masry (Albert Finney) and her love interest George (Aaron Eckhart), are mild and soft-spoken and make great character foils for the star of the show, Roberts’ Brockovich. Rewatching the film now, I’m conflicted about Brockovich’s character. On one hand Soderbergh makes her out to be short-tempered and crass; I found her very obnoxious in certain scenes. On the other hand, Brockovich’s drive and determination to hold the large company accountable is very admirable and I respect her character for it. I also enjoyed Roberts' range as an actress; she can be tough but also vulnerable. The character design of Brockovich is very good and the costume designer Jeffrey Kurland deserves much credit.

The film is a bit slow at times and the story is a tad anticlimactic, but despite this, Roberts’ performance is worth the price of admission alone.

# Conclusion

A slow film but an excellent performance by Julia Roberts.

# Overall rating: 7.1

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