tale of courage, folly, and corruption, this is a crude cartoon of good versus evil that includes Blanchett's worst performance and a conclusion that is one of the more repulsive pieces of emotional pornography since Bruckheimer's Pearl Harbor. Ciarán Hinds brings a touch of class and authenticity with his redolent portrayal of Guerin's underworld contact, John Traynor, but Guerin deserved better, and audiences do too." Philip French of The Observer called the film "a gripping thriller" "directed by Joel Schumacher at his least mannered" and "produced with uncharacteristic restraint by the leading action movie producer, Jerry Bruckheimer." Accolades Cate Blanchett was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama but lost to Charlize Theron in Monster, and the Empire Award for Best Actress, which she lost to Uma Thurman in Kill Bill, Vol. 1. Irish Film & Television Award nominations went to Ciarán Hinds, Gerard McSorley, and Brenda Fricker for their performances, Brendan Galvin for Best Cinematography, Joan Bergin for Best Costume Design, and Dee Corcoran and Ailbhe Lemass for Best Hair/Make-Up. The film won the UGC Cinemas Audience Award for Best Irish Film. Joel Schumacher won the Solidarity Award at the San Sebastián International Film Festival. Home media The Region 2 DVD was released on 26 January 2004, and the Region 1 DVD was released two months later on 16 March. It is in anamorphic widescreen format with audio tracks in English and French and subtitles in Spanish. Bonus features include commentary by Joel Schumacher; commentary by screenwriters Carol Doyle and Mary Agnes Donoghue; Public Mask, Private Fears, which includes cast and crew interviews; A Conversation with Jerry Bruckheimer; a deleted scene recreating Guerin's speech to the Committee to Protect Journalists; and historical footage of Guerin's speech. See also When the Sky Falls, the 2000 film à clef covering the same story. References External links Veronica Guerin at the TheFilmFactory.co.uk 2003 films 2000s crime films Irish crime films English-language Irish films Biographical films about journalists Crime films based on actual events Films about drugs Films about organised crime in Ireland Films directed by Joel Schumacher Films set in Dublin (city) Films shot in Dublin (city) Films set in 1996 Films produced by Jerry Bruckheimer Touchstone Pictures films British crime films British biographical films Irish biographical films Films scored by Harry Gregson-Williams 2000s English-language films 2000s British films