Veronica Guerin [DVD]

Veronica Guerin a movie like many others based on a true story of criminal activity. Set in Ireland in the mid 1990's about a newspaper reporter that became involved in the drug war. How the events changed what she wrote about, fulfilled her desire to make a difference, affected her family & her country. All these things we've heard before but I was singularly struck by the realism used to tell this one.I'm not going to discuss the cast. The acting speaks louder than anything I could say.Crime is a virus that uses the living systems of society to maintain itself & breed others like itself. It mimics our social strata & our financial hierarchy in a deadly parade of life that at times gains a foothold in our respectable world. When it has recreated itself to the point that those not actively participating in crime are willing to accept crime as an acceptable part of society we are on the verge of the chaos that Ireland & Veronica faced in this show.The reasons people get involved in fights like these are shown in this movie. The free & often misunderstood flow of information from one to the other side as they try to out manipulate each other is shown here too. When does the story move from a professional project to an unbending challenge? I don't know that answer but I'm just as sure it does. The family, its struggles, the cause & the home butt heads again & again. We have however as I said seen this before. Never in this relaxed, realistic, honest & even disconcerting way though. It is the simple honest depiction of what happened during this tense time period that makes this movie stand out from others of its kind.In the end we see the great & undeniable good that arises from Veronica's murder & the sacrifice she made. It is rolled down the screen as those that did her & Ireland harm are brought to justice. The people of Ireland come together & force laws to change so law officers can do their job more efficiently. The land most definitely becomes a safer & cleaner place to live. We see the story of evil creating its own foe. One willing to pay any price for justice & we need that reminder.What we don't see is the immediate replacement of those that were jailed, by others now wise to the need to hide their activities. They, just like a corporation, replace an executive that dies, retires or moves on. Crime is a virus & mimics real life. The underworld shows here that when it is given an open place in society then it will take the death of a righteous person to stir society to action. They understand that. It's a major reason they want us to wink at their existence. If we leave this movie in celebration of Veronica Guerin's life that is well done, unless we leave it believing she won our battle. She showed us where the battle lies but it is for each age, nation & people to realize the fight is always on.Let the credits roll & think on that number of journalists killed doing their chosen job in just 6 more years after Veronica's death. 5 stars!

As usual, Cate Blanchette rules. Playing the part of a cocky and aggressive journalist in open war with drug dealers, the plunges head-on into the fray to smoke out the druglords. The main character, Veronica Guering, is a real person and this is her story. It is awesome!

This DVD is very hard to find for some reason, so if it's available now, I suggest you jump on it. It's a very heart-breaking true story about an Irish journalist with a husband and small boy, and a mother, decided to do all she could to expose the drug lords in the 1990s Dublin and put an end to their power. She confronted each one, learning everything she could about them and how they worked, and she never let go, in spite of the immense danger she was in at all times. She was dedicated, intense, head-strong, driven, never easing up. This story shows ever so clearly the difference one person can make. Cate Blanchett did a superb job in this leading role.

This truly was a gripping and harrowing (true) story about Veronica Guerin. It was everything I thought it would be and the ending is just plain devastating. This woman had grit and then some. Some may say ... "well she never learned and got what she deserved". But if so, she did so for the betterment of Dublin and Ireland as a whole as many new laws were instituted because of her persistence and her fight to shut down the criminal element in Dublin at the time. God bless her soul.

This movie is simply the best movie I have ever seen in a LONG, LONG time. Seeing the movie made me want to better myself as a person and made me leave the theater believeing in the heroics of everyday people.Veronica Guerrin is a women that no one in Ireland will ever be able to forget... her courage, heroism, and death led to the change of Ireland's consitution. During the 80s and 70s Ireland was known for it's infamous drug lords, gangs, and drug thugs that virtually ran the streets of Dublin. Veronica Guerrin a well-known reporter for her stories on church scandals decides to take them on... writing about the people who sell drugs and the thugs that push them. Her decision takes a toll on her friendships, her family, and even herself... everyone discouraging her for the simple fact of fear. Veronica's family and friends have every reason to worry when the story is published and Veronica is shot at and recieves multiple death threats. Despite this- she still continues her crusade. Unfornately she ended up dying for her cause. Her death inspired politicans in Dublin to take action and right an anti- drug clause into the Irish constitution. Making this women a true hero for Ireland.It's amazing the impact of this movie... similiar to movies "Schindler's List" or "Hotel Rwanda" by the end of the movie you will have find yourself totally inspired and want to better yourself and the world around you. The final scene when Veronica was killed I couldn't help but cry... I still cry each time I watch it. It is a story that will stick in your heart long after you watch it...While many critics claim the movie will go on forgotten people fans of the person and the movie will stand by it. It makes you- wish you could change the world and the amazing thing about it is after hearing Veronica's story is you will believe you can- if you only take the time... With a star cast- Cate Blanchett perfect as ever, stirring music, and powerful story this movie will NOT disappoint! Veronica Guerrin is the perfect movie for anyone on your holiday liist and the perfect movie to own in your collection- after seeing this movie you'll want to watch it more than once! Buy this movie and be simply inspired-

'Cate Blanchett' plays 'Irish' crime reporter 'Veronica Guerin' who was murdered, very sad-

So - often in film reviews here about real events people mix up admiration for the real person with an assessment of the movie. Examples are the various Churchill films and Eastwood's film 'Sully' Please note everyone these ARE different and can and should be separated.So turning to Veronica Guerin the movie, despite all the five star reviews here I thought it was a weak melodrama and which probably does a disservice to the murdered journalist. The film starts by fast forwarding to the ending where we see Guerin shot; so straight way we know how the story ends. Goodbye suspense. Cate Blanchett is only OK - hampered by a script that reduces her to a paper-thin caricature in a city of ever thinner caricatures. The resulting lack of engagement further weakened my involvement in the story.Guerin suffers a series of increasing brutal attacks / warnings from drug dealers. The message of back-off-or-else is written on a billboard 30 feet high. That Guerin continued to be a thorn in their side is matter of history but in the movie her persistence comes across as naive, juvenile and selfish. When Guerin is shot (for the second time) there is no sense of surprise shock or revulsion. The film closes in a hasty documentary fashion sketching out legal changes to crack down on the drugs trade in Ireland (attributed here to the journalists death) and the arrest of the key gangsters involved.Visually the film is dark and the quality of the picture wasn't great. The only part of the movie that worked for me was the tragically true image young kids playing with dirty syringes in the gutter of a run down estate. Sadly this movie lets both them and the memory of Veronica Guerin down.

Cate Blanchett played the part of Veronica Guerin fantastically and I cannot believe all this happened to this amazing woman Veronica Guerin who fought so hard to get justice and was murdered for it. Parts of the DVD were hard to watch especially when she was beaten badly by one of the evil men who were out to get her. They didn't serve a long enough prison term for what they did to her and her family. She was such a brave woman and her son should be so proud of her but its so sad she never got to see him grow up.

Rather disappointed after watching this film, it left me with the impression that the film was lacking something and that something was that it was the bare bones of a story it could have been fleshed out more. That said Veronica Guerin was a very brave young woman but also it seemed to me incredibly naive about the type of people she was going after. However her murder woke people up and their protests grew.

Brilliant portrail of how a woman journalist takes on the Irish drug dealers, one of the best films i have watched in a long time

Didn't know anything about this woman and the constant struggle she faced with the Irish gangsters.