Not an exceptional film

Rating: 4/10 (18 March 2001)

The idea that this film is exceptional or that Julia Roberts' performance is exceptional is just another Hollywood snow job. A very surfacey look at the story of the woman in the movie's title. To separate his work from appearing like that of, say, Penny Marshall, Soderbergh seems to insert long, boring parts into his movie so that people will see him as an auteur. "Ain't he deep?!" You can load a movie up with all the film school smoke you want, but I've watched enough Nick at Nite to spot bad '70's TV when I see it and let me tell you, kiddies, in Erin Brockovich I see it! Also, a very lousy job of balancing the love part of the story with the big bad corporate part. If Julia Roberts wins the Oscar for this I hope she forgoes thanking her agent, her eighth grade drama teacher and God and actually thanks the one thing that got her nominated for this role to begin with...her push-up bra. And if for some reason she's unable to attend, maybe her bra can accept the award on her behalf.