Blasting News: Mark Ruffalo gives impressive performance in Oscar contender ‘Dark Waters’

By Lawrence Lease (article and video) Updated on December 9, 2019, at 12:14 PM

Everyone loves to see the little guy take down the big guy, whether it’s the Catholic Church in “Spotlight,” the Persian Empire in “300,” or more recently, a corporate lawyer taking on one of the country’s biggest chemical companies in “Dark Waters.” These true stories draw in the audience, often being inspired. Some of these stories hit too close to home, and that can be especially seen in the newly released thriller “Dark Waters,” starring Mark Ruffalo. It’s the surprising story of corporate cover-up at the cost of human lives.

“Dark Waters,” tells the story of the mysterious deaths tied to the actions of one of the nation’s largest corporations. The eco-thriller follows the actions of real-life attorney Robert Bilott (Mark Ruffalo) as he spends a decade investigating and working to hold those responsible accountable for their actions.

‘Dark Waters’ is a dark eco-thriller

“Dark Waters” starts out with local West Virginia farmer Wilbur Tennant stopping at Bilott’s law firm, where he attempts to petition Bilott for his help.

Bilott had spent time as a child on Tennant’s farm, and later on agrees to look into the unexplained deaths of more than 100 cows that were his. This leads to Bilott discovering PFOA, a byproduct of the popular Teflon and how this chemical ended up being leaked into the water supply. These toxic chemicals enter the human body through tainted water and never leave.

As Bilott looks deeper into the effects of Dupont’s shocking negligence, Bilott springs into action and fights to prove that DuPont is dumping toxic waste into West Virginia soil.

The chemicals were causing cancer and rotting teeth in both humans and animals. DuPont was able to do what they want because they were too big to sue.

Mark Ruffalo plays the David fighting to take down the Goliath chemical company

Bilott is the perfect lawyer to take on DuPont because his firm is days away from representing the chemical company. He is aware that his mission will be a massive uphill battle. The tension builds as the case becomes stronger. Friends and work colleagues turn on Bilott as he starts to point fingers at DuPont and digs even deeper.

The community turns on both Bilott and plaintiffs in the case. Bilott puts his marriage and reputation on the line, as he fights for justice.

Mark Ruffalo continues to prove he can play both real-life heroes and superheroes. From his stellar performance in “Spotlight,” to his work as The Hulk in “Avengers,” Ruffalo shines in whatever role he is performing. “Dark Waters” is one of Ruffalo’s best performances of his career. While Ruffalo stole the spotlight, it would be wrong not to mention the other stellar performances from Tim Robbins, Bill Pullman, and Anne Hathaway.