If you ever wonder why Paul Haggis, or Damon/Affleck received awards for screen writing, then let this film be an example of a screenplay that does not work. The screen writer is not totally to blame. It is the producer, or producers, that are ultimately responsible for the end product. They must not have had the experience to realize that the script required more polishing or possibly, a rewrite.
The movie's home page or web site states that Clean has won awards at various film festivals, which is commendable. However, we are not told what the competition was or the other films or home movies Clean was up against.
Home video is a booming global industry and cultural phenomena. When you hear that the late Saddam Hussein was a fan of Tom Cruise films, you know that many have been touched. Along with the roll-out of the VCR in the 1980s and current digital medium of choice the DVD, plus retail successes of Blockbuster and Netflix, and you have a planet full of film fans. Some have taken this to the extreme and pursue the art of film making on a budget. Enter the Indie film. I mention this because it appears that Clean is wrapped as an Indie film, which thanks to Sex, Lies, and Videotape and more recently Little Miss Sunshine, can be a popular selling point. Clean has these wrappings of a successful Indie film, but a peak under the hood displays some parts missing. The global demand for films is on the up and up, so who am I to question cable networks for picking up Clean.
This film does have acceptable direction and editing, but not enough depth in character development to involve the viewer in telling a compelling story. There are several scenes in Clean when things happen with out any setup. One involves the lead male ridiculing a female dinner companion for faking her enjoyment of (careful) having breakfast during dinner time. This particular scene made me feel sorry for the female. But, the sorrow had nothing to do with the story, and it's the story that you should be experiencing. This was just one example of several scenes where awkwardness or inexperience drew focus away from the story. Let's face it, eggs and bacon tastes good anytime.
However, for the people behind the scenes, Clean represents a grand achievement. I saw the film on the satellite DirecTV Starz movie channel. Imagine how proud the film makers and actors are to get on a legitimate pay channel movie network.
As I count them, there are only 4 user comments and the message board is empty. Today is March 15, 2008. I would suppose that after a few showings of Clean on Starz, or maybe another cable channel, there will be more comments and messages. Feel free to add to these lists. It's free and can be more fun than watching Clean.
