Dark Waters (2019)

“Dark Waters” stars Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, Tim Robbins, Bill Camp, Victor Garber, Mare Winningham, and Bill Pullman.  Released on November 22, 2019, the film is about an attorney who discovers the shocking truth about DuPont.

The film is directed by Todd Haynes, who also directed films such as “Poison”, “Far from Heaven”, “Carol”, and “Wonderstruck”.  It is based on the 2016 New York Times Magazine article, “The Lawyer Who Became DuPont’s Worst Nightmare”, by Nathaniel Rich.  We all do what is best to protect our business companies from falling apart.  Hiding something that could threaten the population, both human and animal, is probably not the best way to do it.  This next film I’ll be looking at this weekend showcases this scenario and how one man will stop at nothing to uncover the truth.  Like Chadwick Boseman, Mark Ruffalo is taking a break from the Marvel Cinematic Universe in favor of a more realistic and dramatic role, which is good for me since I only know him in those movies as the Hulk.  The legal thriller genre is another type of genre that I have less experience with because like most people, I wasn’t fond of seeing lawyers talking about the legal system and stuff for around two hours.  After finally watching it for myself, I’m starting to realize that it’s something that I should get into more often.

Pros:
-The film's story chronicles the events that happened during the first two decades of the Tennant case, which has Robert Bilott (Ruffalo) fighting to expose DuPont's secret to the world.  While it did follow some familar beats from time to time, the film was able to provide a compelling plot that's worthy enough to honor its necessary concept.

-Mark Ruffalo delivered a marvelous performance as Robert and Anne Hathaway was really talented as Sarah Bilott, Robert's wife.

​-Todd Haynes' direction was pretty solid as he was able to make every single conversation riveting and daring.

-The film's screenplay also did wonders in honoring the characters and the events.

Cons:
-There were a few pacing issues throughout the film, so if you're not a fan of this type of genre, they're going to become a big problem for you.

​-As I mentioned before, the film had some familiar beats from the other legal dramas.

Final Thoughts: “Dark Waters” is an engaging slow burn that thoughtfully depicts the fight for the truth.  The talented cast and the film’s honorable and compelling script are enough to hide its slow pacing and some familiar genre elements from the public.  You know, it’s pretty despicable that a company like DuPont kept this from us for a long time and not give a single darn about our health. Hopefully, this film will let them know that what they were doing was wrong and they should never do something like that again in the future.  I would recommend this one to those who are into legal thrillers and are familiar with the events surrounding DuPont.

B+