Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher, Spotlight) continues to show that he is one of the more under-appreciated Hollywood heavyweights in Todd Haynes’ (Carol, Wonderstruck) new release. Dark Waters tells the true story of Cincinnati lawyer Rob Bilott’s extraordinarily long legal battle against the DuPont Chemical Company and the toxic waste it was dumping into the streams and rivers of West Virginia. This poisonous waste contributed to a high rate of cancer cases in the surrounding areas and contributed to an alarming number of deaths among cattle and other animals. The movie is exceptionally well-made. It should be seen by all as it hits on self-regulation, big business, medical disasters, and company cover-ups on such a grand scale that it seems hard to fathom as being possible in today’s world. In today’s society, there is so much scrutiny, regulation, and punishment for companies doing what DuPont did and almost escaped without punishment. Almost.

Robert Bilott (Ruffalo) is a Cincinnati-based attorney who works for a firm that represents major corporations like DuPont Chemical, one of the world’s most powerful chemical manufacturers in the world. Bilott goes after this big client after Wilbur Tennant (Bill Camp – Joker, Midnight Special), a family friend, tells him about his many cows that have died at an alarming rate, with each showing signs of bizarre and strange behavior before their deaths. Wilbur is aware that DuPont, which has one of its plants near Charleston, WV, is illegally disposing of waste, and he is convinced that the company is poisoning the nearby water supply. He brings his case to Robert, who, out of favor, asks his boss Tom (Tim Robbins – The Shawshank Redemption, Mystic River) if he can take on this low-level case, assuring him that it will be a side project and won’t take away from his more significant projects. Tom reluctantly agrees, though it goes against the wishes of his colleagues.

What occurs for the rest of the movie is Robert immersing himself in this case that nobody else will touch, and DuPont is proving to be as uncooperative as possible. A case in point is when Robert asks for the company’s files. Boxes after boxes get dumped in his office. DuPont knew quite well that it would take him years of working 10-hour days to pick up even the slightest semblance of information that could potentially be used against them. But Robert isn’t your ordinary lawyer. Once he believes that the company has indeed done something unethical and proceeds to cover it up, he becomes a single man on a mission, intent on bringing DuPont down.

Dark Waters is tense. It’s not exactly a game of cat and mouse, but in a way, it is. Robert becomes so deeply involved that he starts believing even his pots and pans are poisoned with Telfon once he discovers what it is. It starts affecting his family. His sympathetic but worn-out wife Sarah (Anne Hathaway – Rachel Getting Married, Les Miserables) worries about his well-being. But she has primarily served in an advisory role, listening to his sometimes nonsensical rants for over 12 years. The couple has two children, and she, too, worries about DuPont-caused congenital disabilities. Hathaway is underused as the supportive spouse, but as the movie lengthens, her role expands.

Dark Waters is a taught story. I like suspense movies like these, but I will be the first to admit that sometimes they can become trite, repetitive, or so blown out of proportion that they become laughable. That is not the case here. This movie never drags, and that is attributed to its direction, a well-written script, and a great cast, highlighted by a subdued, do-the-right-thing performance by Ruffalo. In a career that keeps getting better and better, this is easily one of Ruffalo’s five best career performances to date, and it is worth a watch for this reason alone. Check it out when you see it come across your OnDemand screen.

Plot 9.5/10
Character Development 8.5/10
Character Chemistry 8.5/10
Acting 9/10
Screenplay 9/10
Directing 9/10
Cinematography 9/10
Sound 9/10
Hook and Reel 9/10
Universal Relevance 10/10
90.5%

A-

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