On a Clear Day

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!!

This movie has strengths and weaknesses. Some of the strengths are its attempt to tell a 'real' story, without recourse to shtick, cliché, or pop-star trickery so common on TV and in movies these days. It seems obvious that the writer and director had visions of something deep, meaningful, as well as entertaining. Another strength is the reliance on the humans, and their real-world behaviors, fears, and hopes (etc.) for the 'current' flow of the movie. The camera lingers, the dialogue is written to enlighten us about the emotions (pleasant as well as despairing) of the characters. It may be said this is a character driven movie, perhaps? And, all of the cast do a commendable job of providing us with the characters' humanity and depth.

Some of the weaknesses, however, are how all of the individual components of the writer and director's vision are executed. Many of the threads of the story simply go nowhere--- not that we necessarily need a big plot-ish conclusion to everything. But we do need some sense, anyway, of what various expositions mean. Sure, we could accept a bit of non-convention, and even artiness, but some of the elements of this story never were stitched together with any other parts of the movie. Worse, those orphaned parts were never really stitched up as themselves--- i.e., they never really completed themselves, nor made any real sense in and of themselves. Without discussing plot details, let me breezily mention the parts with Chan, the Chinese chippy guy, for example. These had neither a start, nor a finish--- we simply saw one brief middle, as it were.

Overall, this is a pleasant movie--- but it isn't a great one. I looked up the director and the writer online, and didn't find much. If they are young, or young-ish, this effort might bode well. That is, this movie resembled a good student-like product from young and promising film makers. Young, in their careers anyway, regardless of their actual calendar year age, but very talented. People to watch in the future.

'On A Clear Day' made me think of quilt makers. Imagine a master-to-be quilt maker; a quilt making artist whose work will be celebrated in the UK and America, and featured on PBS and BBC documentaries and featured in museums, etc. And then imagine this future master's last 'student' project, when she was 17 years old or so, before the magic clicked and she got great. This student work shows genius and promise, both undelivered as of now. That's what 'Clear Day' is like--- a quilt whose individual pieces are great, showing bright and future success, but not put together very well, showing immaturity and a student just beginning to blossom. Oh, the cast was great, and they obviously did everything they were asked to do, and they did it very well. The ill-fitting chunks weren't their fault--- they were just an artifact of the awkward and 'green' directorial efforts.

Go see it anyway--- support the growth of these folks! I gave this an encouraging 8 out of 10.

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.

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 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.