Impressive film with a stellar perfromance by Roberts

Rating: Null/10 (15 October 2000)

From my other comments about Roberts' films, my opinion of her fluctuates from film to film of hers. Notting Hill and Runaway Bride were great, and no one forgets her performance in the classic "Pretty Woman". Yes, she made some stinkers, and she has now bounced back. I was very impressed with her performance in this film, and with Finney's as well. Yes, it's true that her outfits do stand out, but she looks good in them, and carries herself nicely. Warning: She does have an acid tongue though! She says whatever comes into her mind, and is very ambituous in her job, she literally pours herself into this case. This film was much more convincing that "A Civil Action" in the way that it was not too bogged down with unnecessary emotion and characters and the story was more believable. The direction and plot follow very smoothly, and you feel sympathy for Erin. She has no education, 3 kids, has been divorced twice, and is $17,000 in debt. However, she gets involoved in this case, and makes a difference in her life and the lives around her. This is Julia's best performance in the last few years and she should feel proud of herself for playing a real-life woman with just the right emotion, character and believeableness. Congrats Julia, but it is still plenty enjoyable if you are not a Julia fan. Good performances by everyone else in the film as well, including Aaron Eckhart and Albert Finney. Another note: I wish I could pull off the outfits like she could!