A depressed man decides to swim the channel in this movie from director Gaby Dellal.
It is always great when a film sets off a little reaction like a spark in the viewer. Whether it be fear in a fantastically constructed piece of horror. Intrigue in a pitch perfect thriller, or joy in a masterfully orchestrated drama. On a Clear Day falls for much for me in the latter category. The plot of the movie is not too extravagant or exuberant; there are no cop chases or robots smashing through city skylines which we may have experienced through our summer in the cinema.
The films see's Peter Mullan take the role of Frank Redmond, a labourer that is laid off alongside several of his co-workers after a number of years working on the shipyards alongside the River Clyde. Now I must confess this may be where my biased eye begins to roll into its socket and enchant any potential readers. Hailing from the beautiful mechanical underworld known as Glasgow myself, I may have seen and experienced this film in a slightly differently light to many others. I have walked, drove and even galloped down many of the locations seen in the film, so there is that personal touch that lingers within me that is not often experienced in celluloid. Perhaps if you had been to Sleddale Hall and like drinking you would be able to scratch the surface of the feeling this films constructs for me.
Sticking with Glasgow just for a few more moments, you cannot review this film without mentioning how beautifully framed and shot this film is. This is certainly something I was not expecting, but what an incredible surprise it was to sit back and watch stunning frame after stunning frame fold together one after the other. Again this could be the biased eye raising its ugly retina again, but for me the frames were immaculate, on par with some of the work showcased by the aesthetic master himself -Park Chan-wook. It feels both strange and wrong to include the name Park Chan-wook in regards to this film review, but the pristine shots within the film echo the visual pride running through all of Park Chan-wook's work. So for that Gaby Dellal can hold her head up very high indeed.
With a number of positives touched on, a negative must be introduced. There is a slight unease with saying this is a negative as it doesn't really effect the film badly at all. More of a nit picking exercise on my part. The 'negative' which I am speaking of is in regards to the character of Danny played by Billy Boyd. Danny is/was a co-worker of Frank's in the film and pops up in a few places with a selection of witty lines that either fall flat, or produce a giggle. That and the fact I have the idea of Billy Boyd as a hobbit imprinted in my mind doesn't help matters. Any of the lines that do fall flat for are made up for by the incredibly delightful siren that is Brenda Blethyn taking up the role of Joan Redmond; Frank's wife. Brenda Blethyn waltz through this film putting a smile on the face of the viewer whenever she crops up on screen. Having Brenda Blethyn in you film is always a good thing in my book and in this film she shines brightly.
Such a small price for such a pretty, joyous film it should definitely be put into your films to watch list, to buy list or to rent list whatever you prefer, just give it a watch. What's three quid now these days anyways? It probably wouldn't even cover the fare to the swimming baths...
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Anything is possible. Frank (Peter Mullan) is a hard-working 55 year-old, respected in his local community, who suddenly finds himself without a job. For the first time in his life, Frank is without direction. When his friend Danny (Billy Boyd) jokes that on a clear day he could swim to France, an idea is planted in Frank's mind. Concealing his plans from his loving wife Joan (Brenda Blethyn) Frank determines to put his life back together by attempting the ultimate test of endurance - to swim the English Channel. In so doing he cements a broken relationship with his grown up son.
Drama starring Peter Mullan as Frank, a hard-working 55 year-old, respected in his local community, but who suddenly finds himself without a job. For the first time in his life, Frank is without direction. When his friend Danny (Billy Boyd) jokes that on a clear day he could swim to France, an idea is planted in Frank's mind. Concealing his plans from his loving wife Joan (Brenda Blethyn) Frank determines to put his life back together by attempting the ultimate test of endurance - to swim the English Channel. In so doing he cements a broken relationship with his grown up son.
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