The Clearing (D+ or 1.5/4 stars)
Why don't I listen to my friends more often? When I told them that I was interested in seeing 'The Clearing', their response was, "I have never heard of that movie, it must be a 'JJ' movie (aka a film where I may enjoy its quirkiness & where others loathe it)". Well, I gambled that it would be a winner; how wrong I was. How could I have gone wrong? Friends at work spoke well of it. There is considerable buzz surrounding the film; superb actors included. Newsday gave it 3.5 stars out of 4. An unconventional psychological thriller … how could it go wrong? I did not anticipate how excruciatingly boring 'The Clearing' would be.
'The Clearing' is an unconventional psychological thriller directed by Pieter Jan Brugge. This is Brugge's directing debut. Here is a brief summary of the story: Wayne Hayes (Robert Redford) is a self-made multi-millionaire who kisses his housewife, Eileen (Helen Mirren), goodbye one morning and he heads off to work. They're in an ordinary marriage and live in a suburban Pennsylvania. At the foot of his driveway, Wayne is approached by 'Arn' (Willem Dafoe) and he quickly maneuvers his way into Wayne's passenger seat to kidnap him at gunpoint.
Arn lives with his lowly wife & her bothersome father. He's had an awful life and is taking his frustrations out on Wayne because he has prospered in the same company which Arn failed in; he has been laid off/fired. Although Arn had studied up on Wayne, his regimen, his marriage, and such, Wayne is confident that he can negotiate his way out of this situation. Wayne has been used to taking on a leader position all his life and feels he can make Arn fold. Arn is apprehensive about this kidnapping and may not be able to go through with his sinister plans. I will not disclose the outcome of this psychological maneuvering.
Much of the film is Arn leading Wayne on a long, boring trek through some unrecognizable woods. Aside from the kidnapping, the parallel storyline in this film is how Wayne's wife deals with her husband's strange disappearance. 'Has he left me'? 'Was he kidnapped'? Eileen & Wayne's marriage is made uncomfortably clear. Eileen enlists the help of the FBI to try to answer these questions. Why the FBI station out in Eileen's house for weeks on end is beyond me.
There are several revelations throughout this dreary film. We learn of secrets within Wayne & Eileen's marriage. We understand Wayne's relationship with his children. And we see how we 'could' be sympathetic to Arn. But I just don't care. There's nothing new, intriguing, or fresh about this film. It's predictable & clichéd; even the acting is flat. As the credits rolled and I heard the rumblings around the theater, I could only think of why so many critics enjoyed this. Yes, it's Robert Redford. Yes, it's Helen Mirren. Yes, it's not another special effects-drenched movie. But at some point, I was wishing that I DID watch a special effects-drenched movie. At least there would've been the possibility that I wouldn't fall asleep, or feel like I should be put out of my own misery by Arn's gun.
'The Clearing' is an unconventional psychological thriller directed by Pieter Jan Brugge. This is Brugge's directing debut. Here is a brief summary of the story: Wayne Hayes (Robert Redford) is a self-made multi-millionaire who kisses his housewife, Eileen (Helen Mirren), goodbye one morning and he heads off to work. They're in an ordinary marriage and live in a suburban Pennsylvania. At the foot of his driveway, Wayne is approached by 'Arn' (Willem Dafoe) and he quickly maneuvers his way into Wayne's passenger seat to kidnap him at gunpoint.
Arn lives with his lowly wife & her bothersome father. He's had an awful life and is taking his frustrations out on Wayne because he has prospered in the same company which Arn failed in; he has been laid off/fired. Although Arn had studied up on Wayne, his regimen, his marriage, and such, Wayne is confident that he can negotiate his way out of this situation. Wayne has been used to taking on a leader position all his life and feels he can make Arn fold. Arn is apprehensive about this kidnapping and may not be able to go through with his sinister plans. I will not disclose the outcome of this psychological maneuvering.
Much of the film is Arn leading Wayne on a long, boring trek through some unrecognizable woods. Aside from the kidnapping, the parallel storyline in this film is how Wayne's wife deals with her husband's strange disappearance. 'Has he left me'? 'Was he kidnapped'? Eileen & Wayne's marriage is made uncomfortably clear. Eileen enlists the help of the FBI to try to answer these questions. Why the FBI station out in Eileen's house for weeks on end is beyond me.
There are several revelations throughout this dreary film. We learn of secrets within Wayne & Eileen's marriage. We understand Wayne's relationship with his children. And we see how we 'could' be sympathetic to Arn. But I just don't care. There's nothing new, intriguing, or fresh about this film. It's predictable & clichéd; even the acting is flat. As the credits rolled and I heard the rumblings around the theater, I could only think of why so many critics enjoyed this. Yes, it's Robert Redford. Yes, it's Helen Mirren. Yes, it's not another special effects-drenched movie. But at some point, I was wishing that I DID watch a special effects-drenched movie. At least there would've been the possibility that I wouldn't fall asleep, or feel like I should be put out of my own misery by Arn's gun.