The Cleaner

"The Cleaner" is about a working class man who gets unexpectedly embroiled in something messy. The story itself is fairly interesting, but character development is inadequate, so I don't find myself caring for any of them.

It doesn't really weork as film, tale, or entertainment piece. There really just isn't enough going on, and the life of a cleaner looking for a strange woman's son does not a story make, even if there are a palette of small details tacked on to add some depth and breath.

Its a very low key story with most of the characters having little or nothing to add to the proceedings. I'm not even sure why the films is called the cleaner since he never actually does any cleaning, and aside from the opening scene, there isn't any reference to it, nor does it have any baring on the screenplay.

The performances are actually quite good and the characters do well with the roles they are given. In fact, I'd not say the film is bad, or even uninteresting, just that there isn't enough going on to flesh out a film, and the frequent periods where the screenplay creeps along at a snails pace make watching little more than a chore.

Truthfully, it's not that bad, but its lacking in some essential elements to make it interesting enough to watch. The unfortnate thing is that basically it is a good story and had a little more time and effort been spent to add some dimension, I think it could have been at least, a decent film.

Ok, I can't reccomend it, and were it not for the suspect 10/10 reviews listed here, I'd not have bothered in the first place. I think 4 is a fair score, 5 at a stretch on a generous day.

It irritates me to no end when people review and pan and give a low rating to a quiet movie - which this one is - because it has "no action". In fact, I just added an extra star to make up for several low ranks by people who wanted "more action" or panned it for "not enough action".

Want nothing but action MOVIEs? Then watch nothing but action fricking movies! (I like them too, but not as a steady diet.)

This is a quiet movie that leads you through the story via a grown man and his bicycle. You meet several interesting characters on this journey and all with loaded stories.

You get to see some old favorites like Shelley Long and Lynda Evans (still beautiful). Don't forget Luke Wilson. There are some known and loved character actors, too, that you'll recognize and appreciate.

But action? Nope. SO - if you want action - do NOT watch this! If you want a meander through the lives of some people you may or may not know, this is your film (NOT ACTION MOVIE!!) to watch and enjoy.

Just a drama about someone looking for someone. Its not that bad but might be boring to anyone looking for action. The actors were ok. The plot was well paced. The characters were relatable. Not not much action, but watchable.

Notwithstanding the short attention span of the IMDB wackos that have chimed in with their staggering inability to appreciate genuine character acting and a great story, this is a great movie. Never pretentious, just good ole fashion acting and an intriguing plot that offer a twist or two. Shelly long and Lynda Cater are transformed and delightfully on point. Which is not to ignore King Orba's performance which is understated yet simmering. Very underrated and worth a look.