La critique de James Berardinelli
Erin Brockovich is a source of unimpeachable entertainment - a breath of fresh air in an arid, lifeless desert of studio dumps and throwaways. An intelligent and involving thriller featuring a strong performance from lead actress Julia Roberts and scene-stealing work from Albert Finney, Erin Brockovich represents the first enthusiastic recommendation I can make for a 2000 motion picture.
Soderbergh has enjoyed an interesting career. He first burst onto the scene in 1989, when his debut feature, sex, lies, and videotape, had its world premiere at the fledgling Sundance Film Festival. Not only was the movie a huge success, but it elevated Sundance's status from a relatively unimportant regional film festival to the Mecca of American independent film making. (In Erin Brockovich, there's an in-joke that pays homage to Sundance - for those who are looking, it's not hard to spot.) In the wake of sex, lies, and videotape, Soderbergh went through a down period, with films like Kafka, the underrated King of the Hill, and The Underneath. A few years ago, however, he re-invented himself and re-energized his career with the George Clooney/Jennifer Lopez thriller, Out of Sight. Next came the well-received The Limey, featuring a career performance from Terence Stamp. Now, there's Erin Brockovich, which continues to keep Soderbergh near the top.
With its slant on the corporate pollution of groundwater and the resulting health concerns, Erin Brockovich couldn't have been released at a better time. Uncertainty about the use of MTBE in gasoline and revelations about the ease with which it can contaminate drinking water have dominated the news in recent weeks, and aspects of this movie will undoubtedly strike a nerve for some viewers. After all, few things can be more insidious than impure water, since water is one of the natural resources we take for granted. Like 1998's A Civil Action, which traversed similar territory, Erin Brockovich is based on an actual case - a fact that makes the basic storyline all the more discomforting.
The film opens with a car accident. The vehicle driven by Erin Brockovich (Roberts), an unemployed single mother of three, is broadsided by a speeding car at an intersection. She takes her case to lawyer Ed Masry (Finney), who agrees to represent her on a contingency basis. However, in court, Erin's surly manner and profane vocabulary do not endear her to the jury, which finds in the defendant's favor. Both Erin and Ed go home empty-handed. Still without work and needing to pay her bills, Erin tries an unusual approach to get a job: half-bullying, half-pleading with her former attorney for a position as a file clerk. With grave reservations, Ed relents.
