Dark Waters

The story of Cincinnati-based corporate attorney Rob Bilott and his crusade against DuPont’s wicked ways is a case of real-life heroism that deserves a cinematic telling of the highest caliber.

But Dark Waters, Todd Haynes’ handling of this important tale, is so heavy-handed and unimaginative that one hopes another filmmaker will soon take another pass at the material and give it the energy and immediacy it merits.

Akin to a zero-calorie version of Spotlight, the film is plenty informative and, odd lip quirk aside, features a strong performance by a chubby Mark Ruffalo as Rob. Supporting turns from the talented ensemble — featuring the likes of Anne Hathaway, Tim Robbins, Victor Garber, and Bill Pullman — are fine, but primarily there to help usher the plot forward as needed without impeding its flow, though Bill Camp’s nearly-indecipherable accent work as the West Virginia farmer who brings the pollution to Rob’s attention is an early red flag and a sign of issues to come.

As the evidence mounts against DuPont and the case drags on, Dark Waters struggles to hold viewer interest beyond a basic desire to see the good guys win, offering little of note on visual or storytelling levels that make it feel closer to three hours in length than its two hours would suggest.

The anonymous filmmaking is especially shocking coming from Haynes, a director known for cinematic experimentation in projects as diverse as the Bob Dylan meditation I’m Not There and the Douglas Sirk homage Far From Heaven, who’s struggled since his critically-acclaimed Carol (2015), likewise lensed in the Queen City.

His mediocre results are all the more paltry in the wake of Scott Z. Burns’ The Report, a taut, lean drama in which another dedicated man deals with similar oppressive forces — but one that actually earns the “drama” label instead of shrugging it off.

Grade: C. Rated PG-13. Now playing at AMC Classic, Biltmore Grande, and Carolina Cinemark

(Photo: Mary Cybulski/Focus Features)