The story starts poorly with scenes of Erin looking for jobs and botching her accident case. The first twenty minutes of the film could have been condensed into five. However, once the investigation of the case begins, the story is engrossing. It is a powerful and well written human interest drama centered on a tough and smart (though crude) woman who leads a passionate crusade on behalf of the victims.

Director Steven Soderberg played it straight in filming this after his extremely avant-garde effort in "The Limey". His key strength here was the direction of the actors with both Julia Roberts and Albert Finney giving excellent interpretations of their characters. However, my only negative criticism of the film was the way Erin's boyfriend George was presented. George is a grubby tattoo covered biker (the tattoo on his left shoulder says "DIRTY") who behaves like Ward Cleaver with a ponytail. He is genteel, articulate, level headed, patient, sensitive and kind. All of this is so disconnected with his lifestyle that it seems inconceivable that a character this wonderful could possibly come in this package.

Julia Roberts' gave a superlative performance that smashed any myth about her inability as a dramatic actor. A far cry from her accustomed lightweight romantic characters, her portrayal of Brockovich was gritty, raw and audacious. Emotionally, she commanded states from manipulative vamp and vicious harpy to sympathetic confidant and indignant crusader. This is unquestionably her best performance and legitimizes her as one of the more versatile actresses in Hollywood.

Albert Finney also gave a fine performance as the bumbling but effective curmudgeon of a lawyer. He was simultaneously obnoxious and charming and created a good contrast to Roberts' character. The two of them had terrific chemistry.

Aaron Eckhart was lovable as George, although as mentioned above, the character's forbearing personality didn't jibe with his rebellious culture. However, I put more of the responsibility for this on the director than on the actor.

The DVD has some excellent comments by the real Erin Brockovich that lend credibility to the story. However, Brockovich is so toned down in these interviews, it makes Roberts' portrayal seem like an exaggeration.

This is an excellent story that is well and believably dramatized. I rated it an 8/10. For viewers who enjoy strong dramatic performances and who are not offended by liberal profanity, I recommend it highly.

As I said and you probably know, this film is based on a true-life story about a woman with no skills who found out something weird is going on and sued a multi-billion-corporation company and won the largest lawsuit payout in American history. So what makes this film differ from other "true-life-dramas"? Well, a lot of the credit must be given to Julia Roberts, her portrayal of the real Erin is truly convincing. Her performance brings the character to life; the audience can truly FEEL the way she felt, I've seen this film twice in the theatre and it's just as good the second time around.

The script is sharpe, some of the dialogue from Erin is really humorous, and the drama is dealt with care and precision. This is true movie from Julia and from director Steven Soderbergh, another masterpiece to buy on DVD.

Erin accidentally finds out that several hundred unsuspecting residents of Hinkley, California are dead or dying from poisoned water that has exceedingly high levels of toxic chromium.

This is a touching story that reminds me a lot of Sally Field's performance in Norma Rae. It's about a grass-roots effort to right a very terrible wrong, and the investigative techniques used by Erin will floor you with their sheer simplicity. It's not what she does, rather it's HOW she does what she does that makes a difference. Erin is not equipped professionally to take on this insurmountable task, but she refuses to let that stop her from trying. She's what I would call "ignorance on fire", but she's also smart as a whip.

What I love most about this movie is how Roberts character gets results when others can't. She may not be the most professional (this movie is cleavage city!), or meekest person you'll ever meet (her boss says she could use a good dose of "charm school" - he's right!) but she has a way with people. True, her wardrobe doesn't hurt in her getting her way so often (especially with men), but it's her honest compassion for these victims that makes the movie work.

Erin Brockovich teaches all of us a lesson in true leadership, persistence against all odds, and how to motivate people. These victims TRUST her because they know she really CARES, That's the real lesson here, and that's why she is so successful in getting them to do something they would never have done without her.

This movie is a real gem. You will learn a lot about purpose, passion, corruption, romance, and how to deal with people so that they respond. And you'll also learn that door-to-door selling is NOT antiquated!

Highly recommended.

Cris