Acting

It wasn’t that long ago that I raved about the versatility of Lesley Manville, and now there’s another of these talented actors, showing what different people they can be. I watched Begin Again on Netflix the other night. It’s OK, a sort of feelgood redemption movie about a couple with musical interests, who cobble together an album of music which against the odds ends up as both good and successful. The early stages of it feature Mark Ruffalo, a musical produce going extravagantly off the rails - no doubt to prepare us for the moving spectacle as his arc inevitably turns towards the sensitive and inspired. I don’t know whether it’s the script, the producer or the actor, but I thought it was massively overdone.

But then there’s this. Dark Waters is a patient, careful account of the Du Pont chemical firm knowingly poisoning a small town in America, and the work of a lawyer who exposed what they did and - a long way down the line - made them pay damages. Ruffalo is the lawyer, and also one of the producers, and this is obviously a labour of love. He’s not a heroic, charismatic character. The work he does is boring and nit-picky, and it involves him neglecting his wife and family, in ways that are carefully spelt out. Every time there’s the option for heroics or grandstanding, it’s delicately avoided. This is not a hero. He’s a decent man surprised by the facts that he discovers, and increasingly feeling an obligation to the vulnerable people who’ve been abused. I thought it was terrific, and Ruffalo was great.