| THE CLEARING |
Having premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival as a 'work-in-progress,' THE CLEARING now arrives in theaters. The timing, however, may be less than apt since the movie centers on a kidnapping and with the almost daily events of abductions in Iraq, there may be some doubt as to whether anyone would be willing to watch such a film. It would be a shame, though, if audiences chose to ignore this tasteful drama, because it features three strong performances, especially a singularly brilliant turn by one of the best actresses working today -- Helen Mirren. Director Pieter Jan Brugge was inspired partly by real-life events that occurred in his native The Netherlands. He took his idea to novelist Justin Haythe and the pair worked out a story which Haythe then turned into the screenplay. The story is rather simple, but ultimately very complex. Wayne Hayes (Robert Redford) and his wife Eileen (Helen Mirren) appear to have it all until one day their world is shattered when Wayne is taken hostage by former co-worker Arnold Mack (Willem Dafoe). It's only after Wayne's disappearance that the cracks in their lives are gradually revealed. Brugge takes an interesting approach to the material and allows it to unfold in a nonlinear manner, which gives the movie a richer, resonant tone. This allows certain scenes to come across with more poignancy. In short, we watch as Eileen moves from the realization that something has happened to her husband through the investigation by the FBI through its ultimate denouement. Intercut with that are scenes of the actual kidnapping and its immediate aftermath. The title, of course, holds multiple meanings. There's the literal clearing in the woods where Arnold is taking Wayne. On a more psychological level, both Wayne and Eileen come to view their lives in a more crystallized manner. Although the film is intended as a psychological thriller, it functions best as a character study of three people, the troubled kidnapper (Dafoe), the victim (Redford) and the victim's wife (Mirren). Each delivers a strong, multi-layered performance. Dafoe has played villains before but here he makes one understand the desperation in his act. While he is not entirely sympathetic, one can look at him and comprehend the reasons for his actions. Redford hasn't been this loose on screen since his heyday in the early 1970s. Here he's playing a more or less ordinary man, one with multiple flaws and he inhabits the character so readily, it makes one again appreciate his craft and skills as an actor. Mirren, though, anchors the film. Her Eileen attempts to go through the motions of life, in part to keep up a brave front for her children (played by Alessandro Nivola and Melissa Sagemiller), but as she discovered some unpleasant truths about her husband, in part because of the FBI investigation, she has to face the fact that perhaps she didn't know her husband as well as she thought. There's a devastating scene wherein she visits his mistress (Wendy Crewson) that is an exercise in sublime acting. Both women convey so much both in what is said and what is left unsaid. While THE CLEARING has its flaws, it does manage to entertain and enlighten, and it showcases three superb actors offering some of the best work of their respective careers. Rating: B- MPAA Rating: R for brief strong language Running time: 91 mins. Viewed at Magno Review One © 2008 by C.E. Murphy. All Right Reserved. |