2000, R, 131 minutes

Steven Soderbergh has done something for Julia Roberts that no other director has: he allowed her to leave behind the mass media persona and finally get into some serious acting. As it turns out, Roberts really is a top-notch actress, which is good to know considering the heart of this entire film depends on the quality of her performance.

Erin Brockovich (Julia Roberts) is a young woman simply trying to make ends meet in a tough world. In addition to her closet full of high-heels and short skirts, she has three kids, two ex-husbands, a small bank account, plenty of debt, and no job. But her life changes when she starts working at a small law firm and begins to investigate the water in a remote California town called Hinkley. Based on a true story, a local PG&E plant polluted the ground water with Chromium 6, eventually leading to numerous diseases (including cancer) unleashed upon the 600-plus residents of the community. Erin, along with the help of her boss Ed Masry (Albert Finney), works to gather evidence and forces PG&E to take financial responsibility for their actions.

Although the end of this film was no surprise (seeing as it's based on a true story), it was never intended to be. It's kind of like a romantic comedy in that you know what's going to happen at the end, but the exciting part is watching to find out how. The film fails to develop any level of suspense or tension, but the intriguing characters and the true-to-life story are crafted in such a way that you won't care. Erin Brockovich is appropriately titled after the real woman, as the story is more about her than the actual case. This was definitely the best angle for the story because, frankly, I'm sick and tired of courtroom settings, which are few and far between in Erin Brockovich. The film certainly could've benefited from more of a dramatic impact (perhaps the only thing holding it back from greatness), but overall it provides a fulfilling, humorous, and sometimes dramatic 2 hours and 11 minutes of entertainment.

I've always been fond of Julia Roberts. No, I don't run to the theater every time she's in a movie, but I also don't despise her the way a lot of other adult males do. On the other hand, I'll admit I was getting a little sick of seeing the "Julia Roberts" image over and over again, so it was refreshing to see her take on something completely different. Roberts is quite convincing in the role of Erin Brockovich, a provocatively dressed, foul mouthed, in-your-face woman, and this is without a doubt the best performance of her career.

Another talented actor is Albert Finney, who is superb as Erin's boss. The numerous exchanges between their characters are often hilarious and are probably the best moments of the entire film. Come awards time, I hope both Roberts and Finney are remembered. Also, despite a lack of screen time, Aaron Eckhart provides a good performance as the biker/boyfriend who watches after the kids. I don't know if very many bikers are quite this nice, but he makes it seem believable.

Looking at Erin Brockovich, you would never have guessed it was a Steven Soderbergh film. He leaves behind some of the creative cutting and basically allows Julia do her thing, showing enormous restraint in the process. This is an unexpected but intelligent move for the acclaimed director, choosing to widen his horizons a bit and also gain some box office credibility. The more subtle accomplishment, however, is Soderbergh's ability to take a conventional, cliche-ridden story, and then take it to the next level and make it something much better than that.

Erin Brockovich is one of those films that can be enjoyed by a wide variety of people. The consistent use of humor makes up for the lack of an emotional impact, while Julia Roberts' performance and Soderbergh's taut direction keep it going whenever it starts to slow down. Those who dislike Roberts will definitely want to stay away from Erin Brockovich, but I strongly recommend it to the majority of moviegoers.