Though he is heavily looked down upon for ruining the "Batman" franchise, Joel Schumacher has done some fine work lately. Two Colin Farrell vehicles, "Phone Booth" and "Tigerland," are just as under appreciated as the director. His skills are put to good use in the excellent "Veronica Guerin," a film that not only helps the aging directors career, but Cate Blanchetts as well.

Based on a true story, the film goes back to 1994 when the Irish journalist Veronica Guerin (Blanchett) beings digging into an underground drug trading ring. As she gets deeper, the pressure mounts as the criminals begin threatening her, both physically and mentally. In 1996, it all came to a close when she was gunned down inside her car.

Digging into the history of these true events reveals that the Irish community remembers Guerin's death like President Kennedy's assassination is here in America. You remember where you were the moment it happened. "Veronica Guerin" doesn't sensationalize the event in any way. It's handled in devastating fashion, pulling at your emotions the way a good movie should. Most importantly however, it's not the focus of the film.

Instead, you'll learn far more about the person and what she was up against. If you're in America, there's a good chance you've never heard this story. That's why this movie is so important, to get her story out there to those who might not have heard it.

As a film, it works quite well. Cate Blanchett does a fantastic job portraying the journalist and deserved something for her performance here. It's briskly paced to say the least, running just a little over the 90-minute mark. There was time to develop things a bit more and it moves so fast, there are times when it feels like something made for TV to fit inside a specific time frame.

At times you have to think Veronica would have just stopped, but the script builds her character in a way that lets you know she won't. Tension always seems to be high because of it, as the audience can't expect just how far she'll go. That's not so much a great script as it is just a great true-life story, one that needed to be told to a wider audience. (**** out of *****)

This is an absolutely stunning transfer, except for one (major) problem. The black levels are all over the place. They vary in intensity from scene to scene, making for a jarring experience. Most of the film is fairly drab and dark, so it's an issue that doesn't just cure itself. When they're not in play, flesh tones and color is dead-on perfect. Detail is high and compression issues seem to be well under control. It's THX approved and that doesn't mean all that much when there's such a glaring problem. (***)