Julia Roberts, Albert Finney, Aaron Eckhart, Peter
Coyote, Conchata Ferrell, and Cherry Jones
The commonly held wisdom among film pundits is that
Julia Roberts -- the biggest female movie star in the world at
the moment -- just can't do serious work. Certainly, she's
proven time and time again that she is the undisputed Queen of
the Romantic Comedy; her successes in the genre range from PRETTY
WOMAN and MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING to last year's NOTTING HILL
and RUNAWAY BRIDE. In anything else, however, her track record
is much spottier. She's had hits and misses as an action star
(CONSPIRACY THEORY, THE PELICAN BRIEF), an arthouse attraction
(READY TO WEAR), and as a dramatic actress (MARY REILLY, MICHAEL
COLLINS). The public loves Julia, beyond doubt...but only when
she shakes that beautiful mane of red hair, smiles, and falls
for the leading man.
So what is the World's Biggest Female Star to do? If
you're Julia Roberts, you start to subvert the formula that made
you famous in the first place. Her romantic comedies, of late,
haven't had traditional girl-loves-boy tales. MY BEST FRIEND'S
WEDDING showcases her as a scheming man-stealer, who eventually
loses the man (!) and goes home with her gay friend. NOTTING HILL
had Julia playing, of all things, the World's Biggest Film Star,
and she clearly relished the sly commentary on her own experience.
Now Julia has subverted her formula even further, thanks
to director Steven Soderbergh and ERIN BROCKOVICH, her
latest film that easily ranks as her best dramatic work ever.
But if it's not truly a drama, it's not really a romantic comedy
either -- sure, she shakes her hair, smiles and cracks wise, but
she's also out to beat Big Business and win one for the little
people.
Based on a true story, ERIN BROCKOVICH is a
satisfying work that mines its Love Canal-like environmental themes
for unexpectedly original gold. A twice-divorced mother of three,
Erin works for Ed Masry (Albert Finney), a successful small town
lawyer whose guilty, long-buried good nature has made him hire
this smalltown spitfire (who, incidentally, has no law experience
or even college education). Assigned a dead-end pro bono case
to catalog, Erin discovers that Pacific Gas and Electric may be
trying to cover up an environmental disaster that may be the cause
for the widespread illnesses of nearby residents. Using common
sense, unlawyerly compassion, and the inconsistent support of
her biker boyfriend, George (Aaron Eckhart), she convinces the
residents to band together in an enormous lawsuit against PG&E.
What could have been material for a TV movie of the
week is transformed in the hands of director Steven Soderbergh
(SEX, LIES, AND VIDEOTAPE), a gifted filmmaker who has firm control
of his leading lady. Roberts, under Soderbergh's direction, trades
very little on her natural charm, allowing Erin to have wild mood
swings that often make her irresponsible and unlikeable. She uses
off-color language with abandon, references her sexual ability
on half a dozen occasions, and dresses in tight, ill-fitting clothing
that seems to telegraph "tramp". Watching ERIN BROCKOVICH
is a different kind of Julia Film, because it's the first one
that isn't a Julia Film at all -- Erin transcends the star power
of the actress playing her, and the entire affair is the better
for it.
Soderbergh has also surrounded Roberts with a superior
ensemble, including Albert Finney, Aaron Eckhart, Cherry Jones
and Conchata Ferrell. The talent bar has been placed very high,
and it pushes Roberts to new levels she may not have reached otherwise.
Finney is a dream as the goodhearted grump Masry, an unlikely
but perfect comic partner and foil. Aaron Eckhart, as George,
gives needed weight and respect to the film's relationship subplot;
his darkening cloud of discontent is one of the film's most eloquent
transformations. Finally, the gifted character actor Conchata
Ferrell takes a throwaway part and makes it memorable, a barb
for Brockovich who can give as good as she gets.
Even with all of its merits, however, ERIN BROCKOVICH
isn't a masterwork. Like Soderbergh's other recent films (THE
LIMEY and OUT OF SIGHT), the director's predilection for vibrant
color and flashy camerawork (and his preference for mood over
narrative) hinders the storytelling. The directionless moments
in the middle of the film, including pointless scenes with the
talented Cherry Jones, are nearly ruinous; thankfully, the film
gets back on the narrative track toward the end.
By any measure, though, ERIN BROCKOVICH has
to be seen as the beginning of a new chapter in Julia Roberts'
career. With good word of mouth, it has the potential to be one
of her biggest financial successes. But it is the film's artistic
successes which are the real news. Stranger things have happened,
but someday, the pundits may call Julia Roberts the Queen of the
Comic Drama.
