On a Clear Day

I saw this movie at Sundance, and it was brilliant. Beautiful shots, wonderful acting and such a moving story! It made me cry, it made me laugh (with Billy Boyd as much of the comic relief!), it made me want to see it again! Gaby Dellal's direction was spot on, and the emotions from each of the characters was so true, that I wanted to cheer Frank (Peter Mullen) on while swimming the English Channel and console him when he felt like he couldn't do anything.

The only thing that I had an "issue" with, was that at a few moments, the Scottish accent was so thick that I missed what was said. :P Oops!!! Otherwise, I hope this gets picked up and distributed, and I will DEFINITELY buy the DVD.

I must say...."On A Clear Day" was one of the best movies I've seen in quite some time. Peter Mullan gave an awe-inspiring performance, while the supporting cast only helped more. It is a very touching story, and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone who has ever confronted a tough trial in their life. The script is so real, the characters easy to relate to, and a light comedic touch that keeps you laughing and crying.

I was fortunate enough to see "On A Clear Day" at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah on Sunday the 23rd of January. After the film, the director and several members of the cast came onto the stage for a little Q&A. I was delighted to discover how down to earth Peter Mullan (Braveheart's "We will run...and we'll live."), Billy Boyd (our beloved Hobbit, Pippin), Brenda Blethyn and Benedict Wong are. They were even nice enough to stay after, sign autographs and chat with the fans.

If you love heart-warming stories, relatable characters, and a good laugh, "On A Clear Day" will certainly come through.

Unless one has experienced the bone chilling cold of Scotland's waterways, around 40 degrees Fahrenheit even in summer) the rigorous training of the aspiring Channel swimmer in this film cannot be appreciated. Scotland is a beautiful land filled with warm hearted people, but it is always COLD and very, very windy. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the story, and the characterizations of the very real Glaswegians. As I watched this on HBO I was able to follow the subtitles, but having lived in Scotland, the accent was music to my ears.

The man who had spent 36 years in the shipyards, expecting to retire there, is suddenly confronted with the unthinkable - unemployment. Not only is he robbed of his self esteem, he no longer a breadwinner, but he has a lot of time to think and not necessarily of things that he wants to remember. His job had been his life - all he had to do was show up for work every day. He and his wife had settled into a cordial routine where they lived together in a marriage that had long since become a habit. They no longer had any real communication. She does not tell him that she is learning to drive a double decker bus (in high heals no less) and he doesn't tell her that he is planning to swim the channel "what channel?" Thanks to the social security system and National Health Service, being laid off from one's job in Britain does not the potential for financial disaster that it has in the US, but it is still an unpleasant experience to find oneself discarded in mid-life, hence the need to "do" something memorable.

The performances all round are excellent, especially Benjamin Wong who was right on target as the Chinese chippy who no one realized could speak English. When he did, it was with a Glasgow accent. Each man starts to build up his own self-esteem and stand up for himself.

I also had the opportunity to see "On a Clear Day" at the world premiere on Friday night and thoroughly enjoyed it. I really hope that this film gets picked up because its main themes would probably be well received by mass audiences.

There was humor, family conflict, drama, and some great Scottish dialogue (some of which I do need to hear again in order to get ALL of the jokes.) It was just a great experience to be able to watch the film on location with all of the people who worked so hard to make it happen.

On a side note, my friends and I were able to meet Elijah Wood(even though he was not in the movie, he came to support Billy) and Billy afterwards. Being a hard-core Lord of the Rings fan, the experience was great. Please go and see it if you can!!

ON A CLEAR DAY is a wee Scottish film that is full to overflowing with heart and fine performances. Writer Alex Rose and Director Gaby Dellal have managed to explore the psyches of the ordinary folk who face the crises of unemployment, of strained family relations and the fear of loss of pride in one's self and have created not only a sympathetic story with a message, but have also delivered their story with humor and a glint of the eye that makes the whole thing work - very well indeed.

Frank (Peter Mullen) watches as the last ship he will ever have worked on is launched as his wife Joan (Brenda Blethyn) and his son Rob (Jamie Sives), daughter in law Angela (Johdi May), and grandson twins celebrate the launching. We soon learn that Frank is now jobless, that there is friction with his son Rob (who had been a twin but the other twin died at age 7) who doesn't have a traditional job but instead is a stay at home Dad. Money is tight and Joan secretly is training to be a bus driver. Franks cronies Eddie (Sean McGinley), Danny (Billy Boyd), and Norman (Ron Cook) see Frank slipping into depression. Frank spends his time swimming at the public swimming pool and while there he sees three young physically challenged boys trying and by will power succeeding to swim. Frank decides he needs to prove himself to his friends, family and himself and decides to swim the English Channel. He enlists his buddy Chan (Benedict Wong) and eventually his cronies and they prepare for the challenging swim. The manner in which this drive influences his marriage, his relationship with his son and his perception of himself is the driver for the very tender ending.

The cast is first class all the way, acting with that inimitable UK fashion of finding reality in the simplest of characters. The story is a joy to watch for its understated manner and for the glowing theme of the film. Recommended for all audiences. Grady Harp, July 06