Hey folks, Harry here with a report from the BLUE HORNET on the latest Steven Soderbergh film.... Erin Brokovich. For us film geeks, ol Soderbergh is a modern hero... making films that transcend studio financing (OUT OF SIGHT) to become cool, to finance complete out of left field movies (like THE LIMEY). Soderbergh probably follows the filmmaking model of Orson Welles better than any other modern director. One film for the man, one for me. And the one he makes for the man... he drags kicking and screaming into the world of great film. And here... he gets his claws on Julia Roberts. I can't wait. Julia's film NOTTINGHILL was awesome... and she is becoming more and more willing to allow herself to be REAL in film. Hopefully in this one we will see Julia take her next step. And if nothing else, the Blue Hornet says, "JULIA IS SO FUCKABLE IN THIS MOVIE!" and man... do ya have any doubts? I didn't think so. Watch out for SPOILERS below... like the entire series of events in an opening 'TOUCH OF EVIL-like' shot.
Hey Harry! I am so out of breath cuz I had to get back and tell you about this screening I went to tonight here at the Cinedome in Sacramento. Its called Erin Brockovich and stars Julia Roberts and is directed by Steven Soderbergh. This film was a much needed break in the middle of finals. I was pretty much dragged to this but was so shocked at how good it was. One line you'll never see from the critics is - 'Julia is SO fuckable in this movie!' This is the Julia Roberts I dreamed about after seeing Pretty Woman… the same sexiness, but brass, yet smart and boobs beyond belief! Well, I'll get to that in a bit. About the film…
The movie starts out with Julia in a job interview, completely going on and on about nothing that's about the job. She's dressed in something you would see on your Aunt Mary Beth Parker from Jersey City - hair up and wild, short skirt and tight shirt with extreme clevage. You can tell she's not going to get this job - and she doesn't. Now the next scene was so fucking incredible I have to see it again to see how they filmed the one long continuous shot because of what happens. The scene starts out with her leaning against a wall smoking a cigarette, probably ready to scream cuz she didn't get the job. She then walk to he car, sees that she has a parking ticket, then breaks a nail unlocking the door. During this time you hear about three "fucks" under her breath and she then gets into the car and drives off. The camera follows the car leaving the curb following it as it pulls into the street and down toward an intersection. As she keeps driving through the green light this car comes from no where and smacks her completely into a 360!! It made the whole audience jump in shock. Harry - that's the opening scene and it sets the movie up well. Unbelievable!
We learn that Julia is this twice divorced, white trash, former beauty queen from Kansas named Erin Brockovich. Not giving too much of the movie away, she gets a job at a cheesy law firm where she finds out about a pro-bono case involving a small city, Hinkly, CA, and a big electric company. They have been putting chemicals in the water and the people of the town have been getting terminally sick off of it, against their knowledge. Now Julia plays this part well, cuz you think of her as this trashy loud mouth who just is pissed off at life - but you find out she has a head on her shoulders and sees that something isn't right in this case. She asks to research it more and goes to the town to talk to the people. Throughout this time, she's dealing with single motherhood, a biker she falls in love with next door and uncooperative co-workers. But because of the way she dresses and is, she is able to relate to the people of this town and finds out more information that leads her to a bigger picture. Some of the best scenes of the movie are her conversations with the electric plant's big-wig lawyers and even with the lawyer she works with. He asks her in one scene how she got some confidential information out of the Dept. of Water in the town. She answers, "They're called "boobs." And boy does she have them. These suckers are pumped up to the point of spilling over her shirt. Yum. The other supporting actors I didn't really recognize but play their characters very well. The film is done so real to life, you feel like you're there with them. As with other movies similar to this (and yes I thought of a Civil Action), you know it will end well - the small guy wins over the Goliath company. Well, this movie does end well but doesn't really focus on that. Life goes on for Erin. She continues her work in helping the 'common man.' And its cool to find out that it's a true story. Somewhere in the Barstow area is this beautiful, foul mouthed woman helping out people because she wants to.
I have this theory of a good movie. When you walk out of the theatre and see people standing in groups talking about it, I know it's a good movie and this is what happened tonight. Yes many were talking about Julia's boobs (OK, my friends and I) but many were also talking about how well she did. We're all used to seeing her in these mushy love stories and nothing beyond that. Julia does go beyond that in this movie and shows that she can be just as kick-ass as any other. Harry, you have got to see this movie. I really know you'll enjoy it, not just for the 'titillating' scenes (get it?) but the great story telling and way its shot. I can't wait to see it again in its finished state.
Well I gotta get back to the books - tomorrow's last day of finals - yea, buddy! But first I must crack this cold Bud Light… wishin' you were here!
the Blue Hornet
