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I remember when Veronica Guerin was gunned down in Ireland.  It was a matter of time before a film was made about her personal story. Cate Blanchett stars as Veronica, a no-holds-barred journalist who was not afraid to delve deep for an article, but also acted impulsively and disregarded her personal safety. Veronica was killed weeks before her 37th birthday while doing hard-hitting articles on Dublin’s drug trade. 

Veronica Guerin was a wife and mother, but put herself---literally---in the line of fire by going after the untouchables--criminals who put themselves above the law because they could pay people off. Her early training was in public relations, but she was drawn to journalism. Through the years, Guerin had major scoops and this led her to the Sunday Independent in Dublin and editor Willie Kealy (Mark Lambert). Here, Veronica blossomed into a writer who got her information first-hand by going onto the streets.  Dublin in the 1990s had a high drug rate, especially among youth. No one seemed to be able to curtail this crime until Veronica Guerin began to target certain individuals. There were three, John Traynor (Ciaran Hinds), a handsome man who liked newspaper publicity, Gerry Hutch (Alan Devine) a petty drug dealer with no love of the press, and John Gilligan (Gerard McSorley), an erratic man with explosive temper. One was a betrayer, one falsely accused and one afraid to be caught. Which was which?

As Veronica’s stories became front-page news throughout Ireland, physical threats against her increased from a gunshot to her thigh to a beating to threats against her family. Some reporters even thought she shot herself to get personal publicity. Still, Veronica didn't back down. You know the rest. The film is told in flashbacks from her last day on June 26, 1996 to when she began the intense drug stories.

As portrayed in Veronica Guerin, this woman was impulsive in her dealings with criminals.  Its one thing to disregard ones safety, but another to put your family in harms way, which is what happened.  A bit of backing off here, some tact there and Veronica may be writing today. However, that’s not what occurred, but her legacy of hard-hitting journalism, especially for woman, won't be forgotten.

It takes a bit to get caught up in the dialect of another country; thus, Irish slang needs interpretation. The lighting is dark in this film, so when she meets underworld characters, it isn't easy to identify them or place them later in the film. The movie goes at a fast pace so the audience only gets snippets of Veronicas abundant family life, such as moments with her husband and child and office repartee. She is usually elegantly dressed and looks more Wall Street than Dublin reporter.  In fact, going after stories in high heels on cobblestones is a stretch. Then, there is the wailing soundtrack, in which a half tone in either direction would have made a positive difference here. There is one moment where I’m sure Veronica tells the police to tap her phone calls, but nothing more comes of this. Police protection is ineffectual. Veronica persists in putting herself in danger, plus opening doors without finding out who is on the other side, driving a conspicuous red car and not pulling window shades or curtains at night. It is illogical to think there would be no retaliation for her stories.

Cate Blanchett will probably get an Oscar nomination for Veronica Guerin.  There is intensity in her that equates with a journalist on the prowl. The script is written so that the actress has a wide range of emotion from love and tenderness to fear. This cast does well with Brenda Fricker as Veronicas compassionate Mom and Barry Barnes as Veronicas understanding husband.  Ciaran Hinds shows us the fine line crime walks at times. Gerard McSorley (Braveheart) is the kind of man you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley. In real life, because of Geurins stories, laws were changed in Ireland making it difficult for drug dealers to operate there with profit. Crime is ugly under any circumstance, but with drugs involved, plus dealers selling to children, someone has to take up the banner and in Ireland, it was Veronica Guerin. 

Copyright 2003 Marie Asner
Submitted 10/12/03