Veronica Guerin (DVD)

Veronica Guerin was a film that I missed in the theaters last year, but I was extremely interested to see it since the story was incredibly intriguing and knowing that Cate Blanchett was playing the title role I expected a lot, and a lot was what I got.

This is a story that takes place in the mid-1990s in Dublin, Ireland telling the story of journalist Veronica Guerin, who was suddenly overwrought with the need to let her countrymen know about the drug problem that was at their doorstep.

The story gains intensity as she continues to investigate and expose the drug lords and despite being shot at and beaten she doesn't allow it to stand in the way of her telling the story that she believes the people need to read.

Cate Blanchett is masterful in the role and one of the great things about the DVD is that there is a deleted scene included in which Blanchett plays Guerin giving a speech to The Committee To Protect Journalists as she accepts the International Bravery Award, and in conjunction with that deleted scene is included the same speech given by the Veronica Guerin and you can see just how much Blanchett put into becoming Veronica.

It is also obvious by watching the DVD and listening to the two audio commentaries contained on the disc just how much everyone involved in the production took this story to heart and embraced the idea of bringing the past to life, one feature on the DVD is "Public Mask, Private Fears" which describes the cast and crew's dedication to telling the story.

One thing that really surprised me was that Jerry Bruckheimer was the lead producer for this film since I relate him so much to action films such as Bad Boys, Pirates of the Caribbean and Pearl Harbor, but this film is much different than his normal style but it is relatively similar to the same sort of excitement you get from watching "C.S.I." of which Bruckheimer is an executive producer.

Two of the Bonus Features on this disc square solely around Bruckheimer as one of them is a Q&A with the producer, which is only moderately interesting as he is asked questions about the story, the cast and the crew, but the other feature, which is a run through of Bruckheimer's Photo Diary of photos he took during the production is a bit more interesting.

The main reason for it being so interesting is that the images almost look like they are real life, especially one of a young actor portraying a heroine junky in which Bruckheimer even feels it is worth mentioning in his commentary that the young man is acting, that it isn't a real picture. It emphasized the look and the feel of the movie as it really depicts a reality that is believable.

Speaking of reality, one thing that will bring this story to life for you is listening to the two audio commentaries included on the disc. One of the commentaries is with the director Joel Schumacher and the other is with the writers of Veronica Guerin, Carol Doyle and Mary Agnes Donoghue.

These two documentaries are not exactly best listened to independently as the voices of all three speakers are a bit dull and monotone, but the content that they discuss relates really well to the movie as you are watching. They give even more insight to where the filming is taking place as you are watching and relate scenes to how they really happened, the final scene is particularly interesting as Joel Schumacher guides you through the whole thing and then quiets down when it is necessary.

If audio commentaries are your thing I would recommend getting a feel for how the two tracks differ and you should be able to decide the best spots to listen to each.

After seeing this movie I am upset I didn't get a chance to see it on the big screen as it is definitely a good movie and acted extremely well. As far as the DVD goes all the special features definitely relate well to the story that is told and will interest anyone who buys the film. I feel confident recommending this one as a new addition to your video collection, but if you aren't so sure, rent it, and see for yourself.