Legal dramas have been and will continue to be a staple of American entertainment. They take a very complex subject matter and streamline it into easily digestible capsules and the good ones allow the audience to feel as connected to the cause as the characters. Dark Waters uses a lot of familiar techniques to help guide the audience but still stands out as one of the most comprehensive and compelling legal dramas in recent memory.
The screenplay by Matthew Michael Carnahan and Mario Correa was adapted from a New York Times article by Nathaniel Rich. It’s smart, targeted, not afraid to give itself over to the actors. I knew a little bit about the story before sitting down in the theater but it immediately reminded me of A Civil Action (1998). A successful attorney at a big firm has a change of heart and risks everything to become a crusader on behalf of a just and noble cause when his conscious catches up to him. It’s the exact same premise but the similarities don’t stop there. Both movies are also based on true stories in which chemical companies basically poisoned small towns through illegal toxic dumping. DuPont, in this case. I’m not saying it’s a ripoff but these films exist inside the same bubble. Even Michael Clayton is centered around a lawyer who has a breakdown while defending a chemical company he knows is guilty. Sensing a pattern here?
It’s easy to see this project was very important to Mark Ruffalo, serving as one of its primary producers and starring in the lead. For those who don’t know, the part-time Hulk spends much of his off time as an environmental activist. He’s taken on causes like water quality in Flint, Michigan and natural gas fracking in New York state, he even founded a now-defunct non-profit environmental group called Water Defense back in 2010. Ruffalo was all in on this one and has since testified in front of Congress about the harmful effects of the “forever chemicals” discussed in this film. Playing attorney Robert Billot, the 3-time Oscar nominee gave a very passionate but calculated performance in the lead role. The investigative curve is demanding and difficult to make compelling but he leans into the narrative with all his might. Fortunately, he had an excellent supporting cast to work with.
Anne Hathaway deserves serious consideration or at least acknowledgment for her performance as Billot’s wife, Sarah. This was a decidedly more mature role than I’ve seen from her lately, although I’m sure Ocean’s 8 and The Hustle both paid pretty well. Playing the concerned yet supportive spouse is never an easy task but she brought a great deal of emotional substance to key scenes. The same and more could be said of Bill Camp who played Wilbur Tennant, the farmer who gets the lawsuit ball rolling. He’s not a big name and it will be tough to get financial backing for an Oscar campaign but his performance was excellent and his energy was a huge part of what made this film work so well. It would be nice to see his name in the conversation for Best Supporting Actor.
This is about more than just corporate ethics and an embarrassing lack of government oversight, it’s about individuals making large, powerful groups accountable. Director Todd Haynes (Velvet Goldmine) understood that and did a nice job considering it wasn’t in his wheelhouse. Not to oversimplify his contributions but sometimes, understanding the source material, being vigilant about pacing, and just letting your cast take care of business goes a long way. He knew the material was compelling enough on its own but reigning it all in, and it’s a lot, gave some much-needed perspective and scope to the events of the story.
Another thing that helps pace a film with a lot to get through is a great original score. Composer Marcelo Zarvos is a busy man and it’s no secret why. He put together some incredibly compelling original music that served as the pulse in this unmistakeably emotional story. There’s a tension in the music, almost like a ticking time bomb, as it communicates more and more. I have no idea if he’ll be in line for a Best Original Score nomination but it was one of the most effective scores I’ve heard this year.
If you’re looking for a reason to dislike and distrust large corporations (even more than usual), look no further. This is the kind of movie that sends a very clearly defined message. It is political but there’s a strong emphasis on looking out for each other and our communities which everyone should be able to relate to.
Recommendation: People are sleepin’ on this movie but it really is a compelling piece of storytelling on film. It’s not reinventing the genre but it’s a successful formula backed by strong acting performances.