Julia Roberts' best performance ever? Sorry, NO!

Rating: 8/10 (14 December 2000)

Many people have said this film contains Julia Roberts' best screen performance ever and I must say I do not agree with that. I do not agree, because it kind of insinuates Julia has been doing crap out there on the big screen for years and that definitely is not true. What is true though is that Julia Roberts is an actress that brings really every character to the screen and the viewer as realistic possible and therefore she is always believable. The only difference with this film however is, that this is not a lighthearted comedy like Notting Hill, but a real life drama that calls for artistic acting instead of just an easy' romantic / comedy performance. That is also the reason I feel that this movie might actually get Roberts an Oscar nomination for best actress, because characters like this fall better with the critics than the characters she played in Notting Hill, My best Friend's Wedding or The Runaway Bride, for the critics seem to think that being able to be believable is not as much of an achievement, but rather having depth and strength and character is. That Oscar nomination I mentioned, could it be endangered though by the amounts of profanity in this picture? I hope not and I do not believe so, for if the critics would also react on profanity, where would Pulp Fiction have gotten? That profanity is one thing I liked too, I mean never have I seen such an adorable b..ch' on the screen. I mean you just have to love Brokovich (Roberts), for she is so true and right out and says whatever she wants, whenever she wants to whoever is in the room in her, it wouldn't matter if it were the Pope or the President of the USA. Oscar nomination, that's all I'm talking about, well will she win it? NO! And why not? Because she is too big a star, look at Carrey and Willis. Well what about Hanks you say. Well Hanks is a different story, he is known to star in films that require acting and he got famous with those acting roles, like in Philadelphia, Forrest Gump and so on. Plus his comedy's never were as kitschy' as Roberts'. But as long as Meryl Streep or Kate Winslet are not out there, to get the Oscar Roberts' has a good chance. On and on I go about Roberts' great performance (again), but what about the other great performance I saw, coming from Albert Finney, who plays Roberts' boss. He was great too, but you know it was not all his achievement, just as Roberts' greatness was not all her achievement. The two just were unbeatable as a screen couple' and if there were prices for best on screen duo's they'd win them all, but since there is no such award I know (almost) for sure that Finney will win the Oscar. A few other Oscars the film will get or be nominated for are Best screenplay, Best Director and Best film (first one is a winner, the others are losers). But you know that's only how I think it will be and my opinion is not a good one to believe, since I thought Shakespeare in Love sucked big time and it got so many awards. But I am pretty optimistic, for I have not seen such a good artistic' movie this whole year. I mean it may not be fast paced or so, but it holds your attention and it is not too dramatic despite the fact that it is based on a true event which took place not even so many years ago and that is what I really liked also about this film. You really have to see this if you like these kinds of movies, whether you like Roberts or not, for her part is unlike anything she has ever played before cause I have never seen Pretty Woman' (sorry Mrs. Roberts) yell and curse like this before. No more nice girl, now it is tough, single, 3 children raising woman who knows what she wants and also how to get it so I suggest we stop calling Mrs. Roberts Pretty Woman', for there is so much more to her to all of you who didn't notice that after seeing The Pelican Brief, Sleeping with the Enemy, Flatliners, Conspiracy Theory, Mary Reilly or Stepmom. If this one can't convince you of Julia Roberts' acting quality a gun to your head couldn't do it!
8 out of 10