A new film by Todd Haynes.
Dark Waters is a film that has been a bit delayed due to the pandemic, but is now shown in most European cinemas and partly already available on demand. This film by renowned director Todd Haynes retells the true story of a lawyer’s fight against chemical giant DuPont in West Virginia, in possibly the most important legal drama of David versus Goliath since award-winning Erin Brockovich.
The plot of the film is based on true events, which have also been detailed by protagonist Robert Billot in a book about his experiences. Originally a lawyer working in Cincinnati for a film representing chemical companies, he undergoes an unexpected change when he is asked to represent a farmer in his rural West Virginia hometown. When 190 cows on the same farm have died under mysterious circumstances and showing troubling symptoms, this farmer has given up trying to alarm authorities and turns to the law. This case will change Robert Billiot’s life forever, while his work in turn impacts thousands of lives of affected people.
The current views on ecological issues should definitely help making this film an urgent must-watch. The question of holding big companies responsible for the actions is very current in many countries, and covering up crimes and negligence of the past has come back to haunt many companies. Watching these true events unfold is on one hand a suspenseful thriller, but on the other hand also chilling to watch when considering all the real people who have experienced this.
Director Todd Haynes shows once again (as for example in his masterpiece Carol) that he is very skilled in bringing out the best in an acting ensemble. In this case, the cast is stellar: besides Mark Ruffalo in the leading role, Oscar-winners Anne Hathaway and Tim Robbins show their craft, and are further supported by Bill Pullman, Bill Camp, Mare Winningham and Victor Garber. The entire cast deliver strong performances, but the actor that makes you really empathize and suffer is Mark Ruffalo. Similarly to his roles in Spotlight and Foxcatcher, his emotional range is incredible, and his performance is at its strongest when he uses no words.
Overall, this film has fulfilled my very high expectations, and I consider it to be one of the finest legal films I’ve seen in the last few years.
(Images: IMDB)