list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Clean on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Clean/245366/default.aspx Title: Clean
Year: 2004
Director: Olivier Assayas
Plot: A woman throws herself into a last-ditch struggle to conquer her demons in this gritty drama from director Olivier Assayas. Lee Hauser (James Johnston) is a faded rock star who lives with his wife, Emily Wang (Maggie Cheung), the former host of a European music video show, in a small town in Western Canada. Both Lee and Emily have been battling drug addiction for years, and when Lee finally dies of an OD, Emily finds herself charged with possession of heroin and ends up spending six months in jail. Lee and Emily's son, Jay (James Dennis), has been living with his paternal grandparents, Albrecht (Nick Nolte) and Rosemary (Martha Henry), and while Emily is eager to see her son after getting out of jail, Albrecht persuades her that she needs to get herself clean before she can reconnect with Jay. Determined to get off methadone, Emily relocates to France, where she scares up a job as a waitress and moves in with her old friend Elena (Béatrice Dalle). Emily's attempts to start a new career and stay off drugs prove to be an uphill battle, and she doesn't appear to be winning her fight when she learns that Albrecht and Jay will be accompanying Rosemary to London for medical treatment when Rosemary contracts a serious illness -- and that Albrecht is considering making a side trip to Paris. Clean was screened in competition at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 14
Number of Lists: 19
Number of blog posts: 27
Number of discussion threads: 7
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Mon, 11 May 2009 00:12:05 GMTClean2004Olivier AssayasA woman throws herself into a last-ditch struggle to conquer her demons in this gritty drama from director <a href="/players/P____80105/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Olivier Assayas</a>. Lee Hauser (James Johnston) is a faded rock star who lives with his wife, Emily Wang (<a href="/players/P____12725/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Maggie Cheung</a>), the former host of a European music video show, in a small town in Western Canada. Both Lee and Emily have been battling drug addiction for years, and when Lee finally dies of an OD, Emily finds herself charged with possession of heroin and ends up spending six months in jail. Lee and Emily's son, Jay (James Dennis), has been living with his paternal grandparents, Albrecht (<a href="/players/P____52916/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Nick Nolte</a>) and Rosemary (Martha Henry), and while Emily is eager to see her son after getting out of jail, Albrecht persuades her that she needs to get herself clean before she can reconnect with Jay. Determined to get off methadone, Emily relocates to France, where she scares up a job as a waitress and moves in with her old friend Elena (<a href="/players/P____16667/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Béatrice Dalle</a>). Emily's attempts to start a new career and stay off drugs prove to be an uphill battle, and she doesn't appear to be winning her fight when she learns that Albrecht and Jay will be accompanying Rosemary to London for medical treatment when Rosemary contracts a serious illness -- and that Albrecht is considering making a side trip to Paris. Clean was screened in competition at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide14Tag Target (>10)192773http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t81498fziun.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Clean/245366/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/groups/Filmgaming/Re_Best_Movie_Lists_DVD_giveaway/563/39354/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Dr_Gor
Post To: Filmgaming
Post Date: 1/10/2009 11:26:46 PM
Body: [quote user="spout"] Win five DVDs from indie studio Palm Pictures.It's easy: Reply to this thread with one of your Spout lists. Choose a list you like. "Want to see it" lists serve a purpose, but let's face it -- nobody reads them for fun. Some good list examples are Man-made Disasters, Top 5 Movies about Friendship, or Post-Collegiate Existential Dilemmas. Never made a list before? Click the "Add to lists" link at the top of this page. There you can title a list, then add movies to it by clicking the "Add to lists" link on the movie pages. Send any questions about building lists to all@spout.com. Check back here on 1/16 to see if you've won! The DVDs 1. 13 Tzameti - Watch the trailer. A young man is caught in a perverse gambling match, and he'll need more than luck to survive. It's on Leeroy's list The Secret Society. 2. Clean - Watch the trailer. When a TV host's husband OD's, she attempts to escape her own addiction. It's on puhnner's list See this one. 3. Wondrous Oblivion - Watch the trailer. A coming-of-age story set in 1960s London. A boy has to choose between loyalty to his friends and the acceptance of his prejudiced neighbors. 4. The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things - Watch the trailer. A young boy bounces among foster homes and into the care of his drug-addict/prostitute mother. Included on Queer Cinema's list Transvestism in film. 5. Africa Unite or You're Gonna Miss Me - Winners get to choose the film that looks more interesting. Africa Unite: A Celebration of Bob Marley's Vision is a concert film and humanitarian documentary. Watch the trailer. You're Gonna Miss Me: A film about Roky Erickson looks at Roky's far-reaching influence on rock music and his struggle with schizophrenia. On FilmCouch's list The Tortured Artist. Watch the trailer. [/quote] Here is a list of mine that is short and sweet... List of Extreme Films by Extreme Cinema - Movie & Film Lists - Spout
]]>Sun, 11 Jan 2009 04:26:46 GMTDr_GorFilmgaming1/10/2009 11:26:46 PM[quote user="spout"] Win five DVDs from indie studio Palm Pictures.It's easy: Reply to this thread with one of your Spout lists. Choose a list you like. "Want to see it" lists serve a purpose, but let's face it -- nobody reads them for fun. Some good list examples are Man-made Disasters, Top 5 Movies about Friendship, or Post-Collegiate Existential Dilemmas. Never made a list before? Click the "Add to lists" link at the top of this page. There you can title a list, then add movies to it by clicking the "Add to lists" link on the movie pages. Send any questions about building lists to all@spout.com. Check back here on 1/16 to see if you've won! The DVDs 1. 13 Tzameti - Watch the trailer. A young man is caught in a perverse gambling match, and he'll need more than luck to survive. It's on Leeroy's list The Secret Society. 2. Clean - Watch the trailer. When a TV host's husband OD's, she attempts to escape her own addiction. It's on puhnner's list See this one. 3. Wondrous Oblivion - Watch the trailer. A coming-of-age story set in 1960s London. A boy has to choose between loyalty to his friends and the acceptance of his prejudiced neighbors. 4. The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things - Watch the trailer. A young boy bounces among foster homes and into the care of his drug-addict/prostitute mother. Included on Queer Cinema's list Transvestism in film. 5. Africa Unite or You're Gonna Miss Me - Winners get to choose the film that looks more interesting. Africa Unite: A Celebration of Bob Marley's Vision is a concert film and humanitarian documentary. Watch the trailer. You're Gonna Miss Me: A film about Roky Erickson looks at Roky's far-reaching influence on rock music and his struggle with schizophrenia. On FilmCouch's list The Tortured Artist. Watch the trailer. [/quote] Here is a list of mine that is short and sweet... List of Extreme Films by Extreme Cinema - Movie &amp; Film Lists - Spout http://www.spout.com/groups/Filmgaming/Re_Best_Movie_Lists_DVD_giveaway/563/39217/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: laurakewl
Post To: Filmgaming
Post Date: 1/7/2009 4:45:15 PM
Body: [quote user="spout"] Win five DVDs from indie studio Palm Pictures.It's easy: Reply to this thread with one of your Spout lists. Choose a list you like. "Want to see it" lists serve a purpose, but let's face it -- nobody reads them for fun. Some good list examples are Man-made Disasters, Top 5 Movies about Friendship, or Post-Collegiate Existential Dilemmas. Never made a list before? Click the "Add to lists" link at the top of this page. There you can title a list, then add movies to it by clicking the "Add to lists" link on the movie pages. Send any questions about building lists to all@spout.com. Check back here on 1/16 to see if you've won! The DVDs 1. 13 Tzameti - Watch the trailer. A young man is caught in a perverse gambling match, and he'll need more than luck to survive. It's on Leeroy's list The Secret Society. 2. Clean - Watch the trailer. When a TV host's husband OD's, she attempts to escape her own addiction. It's on puhnner's list See this one. 3. Wondrous Oblivion - Watch the trailer. A coming-of-age story set in 1960s London. A boy has to choose between loyalty to his friends and the acceptance of his prejudiced neighbors. 4. The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things - Watch the trailer. A young boy bounces among foster homes and into the care of his drug-addict/prostitute mother. Included on Queer Cinema's list Transvestism in film. 5. Africa Unite or You're Gonna Miss Me - Winners get to choose the film that looks more interesting. Africa Unite: A Celebration of Bob Marley's Vision is a concert film and humanitarian documentary. Watch the trailer. You're Gonna Miss Me: A film about Roky Erickson looks at Roky's far-reaching influence on rock music and his struggle with schizophrenia. On FilmCouch's list The Tortured Artist. Watch the trailer. [/quote]
]]>Wed, 07 Jan 2009 21:45:15 GMTlaurakewlFilmgaming1/7/2009 4:45:15 PM[quote user="spout"] Win five DVDs from indie studio Palm Pictures.It's easy: Reply to this thread with one of your Spout lists. Choose a list you like. "Want to see it" lists serve a purpose, but let's face it -- nobody reads them for fun. Some good list examples are Man-made Disasters, Top 5 Movies about Friendship, or Post-Collegiate Existential Dilemmas. Never made a list before? Click the "Add to lists" link at the top of this page. There you can title a list, then add movies to it by clicking the "Add to lists" link on the movie pages. Send any questions about building lists to all@spout.com. Check back here on 1/16 to see if you've won! The DVDs 1. 13 Tzameti - Watch the trailer. A young man is caught in a perverse gambling match, and he'll need more than luck to survive. It's on Leeroy's list The Secret Society. 2. Clean - Watch the trailer. When a TV host's husband OD's, she attempts to escape her own addiction. It's on puhnner's list See this one. 3. Wondrous Oblivion - Watch the trailer. A coming-of-age story set in 1960s London. A boy has to choose between loyalty to his friends and the acceptance of his prejudiced neighbors. 4. The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things - Watch the trailer. A young boy bounces among foster homes and into the care of his drug-addict/prostitute mother. Included on Queer Cinema's list Transvestism in film. 5. Africa Unite or You're Gonna Miss Me - Winners get to choose the film that looks more interesting. Africa Unite: A Celebration of Bob Marley's Vision is a concert film and humanitarian documentary. Watch the trailer. You're Gonna Miss Me: A film about Roky Erickson looks at Roky's far-reaching influence on rock music and his struggle with schizophrenia. On FilmCouch's list The Tortured Artist. Watch the trailer. [/quote] http://www.spout.com/groups/Filmgaming/Best_Movie_Lists_DVD_giveaway/563/39094/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: spout
Post To: Filmgaming
Post Date: 1/5/2009 12:23:44 PM
Body: Want to win five DVD's? It's easy: Reply to this thread with one of your Spout lists. Choose a list you like. "Want to see it" lists serve a purpose, but let's face it -- nobody reads them for fun. Some good list examples are Man-made Disasters, Top 5 Movies about Friendship, or Post-Collegiate Existential Dilemmas. Never made a list before? Click the "Add to lists" link at the top of this page. There you can title a list, then add movies to it by clicking the "Add to lists" link on the movie pages. Send any questions about building lists to all@spout.com. Check back here on 1/16 to see if you've won! The DVDs 1. 13 Tzameti - Watch the trailer. A young man is caught in a perverse gambling match, and he'll need more than luck to survive. It's on Leeroy's list The Secret Society. 2. Clean - Watch the trailer. When a TV host's husband OD's, she attempts to escape her own addiction. It's on puhnner's list See this one. 3. Wondrous Oblivion - Watch the trailer. A coming-of-age story set in 1960s London. A boy has to choose between loyalty to his friends and the acceptance of his prejudiced neighbors. 4. The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things - Watch the trailer. A young boy bounces among foster homes and into the care of his drug-addict/prostitute mother. Included on Queer Cinema's list Transvestism in film. 5. Africa Unite or You're Gonna Miss Me - Winners get to choose the film that looks more interesting. Africa Unite: A Celebration of Bob Marley's Vision is a concert film and humanitarian documentary. Watch the trailer. You're Gonna Miss Me: A film about Roky Erickson looks at Roky's far-reaching influence on rock music and his struggle with schizophrenia. On FilmCouch's list The Tortured Artist. Watch the trailer.
]]>Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:23:44 GMTspoutFilmgaming1/5/2009 12:23:44 PMWant to win five DVD's? It's easy: Reply to this thread with one of your Spout lists. Choose a list you like. "Want to see it" lists serve a purpose, but let's face it -- nobody reads them for fun. Some good list examples are Man-made Disasters, Top 5 Movies about Friendship, or Post-Collegiate Existential Dilemmas. Never made a list before? Click the "Add to lists" link at the top of this page. There you can title a list, then add movies to it by clicking the "Add to lists" link on the movie pages. Send any questions about building lists to all@spout.com. Check back here on 1/16 to see if you've won! The DVDs 1. 13 Tzameti - Watch the trailer. A young man is caught in a perverse gambling match, and he'll need more than luck to survive. It's on Leeroy's list The Secret Society. 2. Clean - Watch the trailer. When a TV host's husband OD's, she attempts to escape her own addiction. It's on puhnner's list See this one. 3. Wondrous Oblivion - Watch the trailer. A coming-of-age story set in 1960s London. A boy has to choose between loyalty to his friends and the acceptance of his prejudiced neighbors. 4. The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things - Watch the trailer. A young boy bounces among foster homes and into the care of his drug-addict/prostitute mother. Included on Queer Cinema's list Transvestism in film. 5. Africa Unite or You're Gonna Miss Me - Winners get to choose the film that looks more interesting. Africa Unite: A Celebration of Bob Marley's Vision is a concert film and humanitarian documentary. Watch the trailer. You're Gonna Miss Me: A film about Roky Erickson looks at Roky's far-reaching influence on rock music and his struggle with schizophrenia. On FilmCouch's list The Tortured Artist. Watch the trailer. http://www.spout.com/blogs/usesoap/archive/2008/10/10/36146.aspx Post By: usesoap
Post To: usesoap Blog
Post Date: 10/10/2008 1:31:22 PM
Body: Say what you want about addiction, but for many who have suffered or are still suffering from it, it is mere luck of the draw. For Emily (played by Maggie Cheung), the protagonist of Clean, the hand she was dealt was a losing one as her struggles with heroin envelop her very sense of self (rock star, wife, mother). Her existence lies at the needle’s end. It is not only monetarily costly, but one emotionally as well, as she loses her husband Lee to an overdose, and, subsequently, her young son Jay (played by James Dennis), who lives with Lee’s parents (played by Nick Nolte and Martha Henry) after her custody is revoked. It would be easy to dismiss her a good-for-nothing druggie, but Albrecht (Nolte) , now thechild’s leagal guardian approaches matters much more rationally. Perhaps it is because of his son’s death and the fact that he is now facing the mortality of his wife (who is hospitalized in the final stages of cancer), but the film’s title “Clean” may also refer to the slate on which Albrecht wants to start things in an attempt to mend what’s left of those in his life. When he calmly whispers to his wife, “Someday we won’t be here. And she is the boy’s mother,” you can sense his compassion out of necessity. Albrecht scans the woman, peeling the hardened layers to look for redeeming qualities in the mother of his grandchild. While Cheung won the Best Actress award at Cannes for her role in 2004, it was Nolte’s supporting part that really resonated. Perhaps it was Nolte’s own storied past, but it was almost as though he was looking inward for that essence of goodness. And as the film works steadfastly toward its conclusion, there’s that final shot…sure to be the proverbial sand-drawn line that will divide audiences of the film. It is open to interpretation, which, personally, are the endings I love. I remember as a child reading books and then creating further situations/adventures/ etc. for the characters. It is an eccentricity I have sometimes after a particularly effective film-going process, one which contains characters about whom I cared. In ‘Clean,” I continued the story of the characters in my head long after I finished the film.
]]>Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:31:22 GMTusesoapusesoap Blog10/10/2008 1:31:22 PMSay what you want about addiction, but for many who have suffered or are still suffering from it, it is mere luck of the draw. For Emily (played by Maggie Cheung), the protagonist of Clean, the hand she was dealt was a losing one as her struggles with heroin envelop her very sense of self (rock star, wife, mother). Her existence lies at the needle&rsquo;s end. It is not only monetarily costly, but one emotionally as well, as she loses her husband Lee to an overdose, and, subsequently, her young son Jay (played by James Dennis), who lives with Lee&rsquo;s parents (played by Nick Nolte and Martha Henry) after her custody is revoked. It would be easy to dismiss her a good-for-nothing druggie, but Albrecht (Nolte) , now thechild&rsquo;s leagal guardian approaches matters much more rationally. Perhaps it is because of his son&rsquo;s death and the fact that he is now facing the mortality of his wife (who is hospitalized in the final stages of cancer), but the film&rsquo;s title &ldquo;Clean&rdquo; may also refer to the slate on which Albrecht wants to start things in an attempt to mend what&rsquo;s left of those in his life. When he calmly whispers to his wife, &ldquo;Someday we won&rsquo;t be here. And she is the boy&rsquo;s mother,&rdquo; you can sense his compassion out of necessity. Albrecht scans the woman, peeling the hardened layers to look for redeeming qualities in the mother of his grandchild. While Cheung won the Best Actress award at Cannes for her role in 2004, it was Nolte&rsquo;s supporting part that really resonated. Perhaps it was Nolte&rsquo;s own storied past, but it was almost as though he was looking inward for that essence of goodness. And as the film works steadfastly toward its conclusion, there&rsquo;s that final shot&hellip;sure to be the proverbial sand-drawn line that will divide audiences of the film. It is open to interpretation, which, personally, are the endings I love. I remember as a child reading books and then creating further situations/adventures/ etc. for the characters. It is an eccentricity I have sometimes after a particularly effective film-going process, one which contains characters about whom I cared. In &lsquo;Clean,&rdquo; I continued the story of the characters in my head long after I finished the film. http://www.spout.com/blogs/theworkingdead/archive/2008/9/1/34621.aspx Post By: TheWorkingDead
Post To: TheWorkingDead Blog
Post Date: 9/1/2008 4:37:11 PM
Body: OK, so perhaps the connection isn't that major, and it certainly isn't anything brought up by the movie itself, but the parallels are hard to deny. It's safe to assume that at some point in the production of this movie, which follows a woman blamed(by some) for the overdose of her more famous rock star husband as she tries to get her act together and regain some of her fame, someone must have brought up Courtney Love and Nirvanafrontman Kurt Cobain. Perhaps Olivier Assayas even looked back to the story of that couple for some inspiration or ideas, but that's probably as far as it went. At the opening of the film we see Emily(Maggie Cheung) and her musician husband arriving in a small town for a gig. Most of this is irrelevant, and only serves to impress upon us that Emily is a junkie, and she's blamed by those around her for dragging her far more talented husband into her addiction. In fact, the first thing we witness Emily doing is setting up a connection so she can score drugs later that night. Did I say most of this was irrelevant? I suppose it might be, except for that little action there. It's the drugs that Emily buys from this connection that propel the rest of the movie. After an argument(about drugs), Emily storms out on her husband that night, andseparately the two get high. Emily wakes up in the morning, her husband does not. Returning to their hotel room, which is now a crime scene, Emily makes an ill-advised emotional outburst, drawing the curiosity of the cops, and landing her in jail once they find the heroin in her purse. Almost overnight, the fame that the drug-addled couple had been searching for finds them. Emily's husband becomes an overnight sensation. It's never stated what his level of stardom is, but we hear that his death made the cover ofMojo magazine, and his family is being helped out by old friend Tricky, so we can assume he was a bit of a one-time superstar in the indie music world. Emily, on the other hand, attracts nothing but derision, and everyone in the world is apparently convinced that she killed her husband. She denies this, to everyone, whether or not she actually believes it herself. After 6 months in prison, Emily meets with her father-in-law, Albrecht(Nick Nolte), at a small diner somewhere. He offers to give her money, she refuses, he asks her to not visit her son, she agrees. Both of them seem to think that the child needs stability, and Emily can't give that to him. As a father, this sort of thinking bothers me a bit, and although I can't completely agree, I have to give Emily kudos, because this is undoubtedly the best decision for everyone. With the small amount of money left in her bank account, Emily heads home to Paris, where she gets a job at a restaurant, and dreams of regaining the fame she once had as aVeeJay for an MTV-like cable channel. Maggie Cheung here(it's important to give her credit for this, not just her character), is marvelous here, flitting from Canada to Paris to London, alternating between English, Chinese and French with ease, and always looking completely at home wherever she is. The irony is that she never feels at home, and seems endlessly restless and always wanting more.As much as Emily constantly talks about it, she actually doesn't seem too interested in regaining any fame. Or perhaps it's the work she isn't interested in. She gives her friends some demo tapes, she has an interview with her old boss, but that's pretty much it. She doesn't seem interested in getting some like-minded musicians together or singing in a band, or hell, even karaoke. She just continues her addictions(methadone now, not heroin) and talks about how she should be famous. Eventually, as her life becomes on disappointment after another, Emily moves in with some friends and decides to get clean, taking a menial job at a department store. She even turns down her one best chance at making an album because it would clash with her plans to see her son. Suddenly, with none of the signposts familiar to most drug addiction movies, Emily has matured and started to change her life. Around this point NickNolte re-enters the film(Nolte suffers a bit from 'star cameo syndrome,' in that he never interacts with most of the main cast, and often feels like he's starring in aseparate film). In London so his dying wife can see some specialists, he reintroduces Emily to her son, and helps end the movie on a positive note.Clean is a bit of an odd duck; not really gritty or emotional enough to fit into the scores of other drug films, the film is surprisingly upbeat, but never really reaches 'after school special' levels of schmaltz. What it is is a calm, intelligent meditation on addiction and the ways we try to lie to ourselves to make us fit in. Emily, while certainly not the best mother in the world, is still surprisingly honest and open with her son. While not expressly admitting guilt in her husband's death, Emily is refreshingly straightforward with her son, telling him about his father, and their life together, and how drugs gave them both some very good times, admitting that it could have been either or both of them that died(which is true). Like I said, she never admits guilt, but the discussion does bring a catharsis of some sort, and it seems to cleanse Emily of some of the guilt and baggage she's been carrying around. The ending disappointed some, but it felt right to me. Emily is recording in San Francisco, with the prospect of a loving relationship with her son in front of her, and she walks off into the sun of a new morning, clean.
]]>Mon, 01 Sep 2008 20:37:11 GMTTheWorkingDeadTheWorkingDead Blog9/1/2008 4:37:11 PMOK, so perhaps the connection isn't that major, and it certainly isn't anything brought up by the movie itself, but the parallels are hard to deny. It's safe to assume that at some point in the production of this movie, which follows a woman blamed(by some) for the overdose of her more famous rock star husband as she tries to get her act together and regain some of her fame, someone must have brought up Courtney Love and Nirvanafrontman Kurt Cobain. Perhaps Olivier Assayas even looked back to the story of that couple for some inspiration or ideas, but that's probably as far as it went. At the opening of the film we see Emily(Maggie Cheung) and her musician husband arriving in a small town for a gig. Most of this is irrelevant, and only serves to impress upon us that Emily is a junkie, and she's blamed by those around her for dragging her far more talented husband into her addiction. In fact, the first thing we witness Emily doing is setting up a connection so she can score drugs later that night. Did I say most of this was irrelevant? I suppose it might be, except for that little action there. It's the drugs that Emily buys from this connection that propel the rest of the movie. After an argument(about drugs), Emily storms out on her husband that night, andseparately the two get high. Emily wakes up in the morning, her husband does not. Returning to their hotel room, which is now a crime scene, Emily makes an ill-advised emotional outburst, drawing the curiosity of the cops, and landing her in jail once they find the heroin in her purse. Almost overnight, the fame that the drug-addled couple had been searching for finds them. Emily's husband becomes an overnight sensation. It's never stated what his level of stardom is, but we hear that his death made the cover ofMojo magazine, and his family is being helped out by old friend Tricky, so we can assume he was a bit of a one-time superstar in the indie music world. Emily, on the other hand, attracts nothing but derision, and everyone in the world is apparently convinced that she killed her husband. She denies this, to everyone, whether or not she actually believes it herself. After 6 months in prison, Emily meets with her father-in-law, Albrecht(Nick Nolte), at a small diner somewhere. He offers to give her money, she refuses, he asks her to not visit her son, she agrees. Both of them seem to think that the child needs stability, and Emily can't give that to him. As a father, this sort of thinking bothers me a bit, and although I can't completely agree, I have to give Emily kudos, because this is undoubtedly the best decision for everyone. With the small amount of money left in her bank account, Emily heads home to Paris, where she gets a job at a restaurant, and dreams of regaining the fame she once had as aVeeJay for an MTV-like cable channel. Maggie Cheung here(it's important to give her credit for this, not just her character), is marvelous here, flitting from Canada to Paris to London, alternating between English, Chinese and French with ease, and always looking completely at home wherever she is. The irony is that she never feels at home, and seems endlessly restless and always wanting more.As much as Emily constantly talks about it, she actually doesn't seem too interested in regaining any fame. Or perhaps it's the work she isn't interested in. She gives her friends some demo tapes, she has an interview with her old boss, but that's pretty much it. She doesn't seem interested in getting some like-minded musicians together or singing in a band, or hell, even karaoke. She just continues her addictions(methadone now, not heroin) and talks about how she should be famous. Eventually, as her life becomes on disappointment after another, Emily moves in with some friends and decides to get clean, taking a menial job at a department store. She even turns down her one best chance at making an album because it would clash with her plans to see her son. Suddenly, with none of the signposts familiar to most drug addiction movies, Emily has matured and started to change her life. Around this point NickNolte re-enters the film(Nolte suffers a bit from 'star cameo syndrome,' in that he never interacts with most of the main cast, and often feels like he's starring in aseparate film). In London so his dying wife can see some specialists, he reintroduces Emily to her son, and helps end the movie on a positive note.Clean is a bit of an odd duck; not really gritty or emotional enough to fit into the scores of other drug films, the film is surprisingly upbeat, but never really reaches 'after school special' levels of schmaltz. What it is is a calm, intelligent meditation on addiction and the ways we try to lie to ourselves to make us fit in. Emily, while certainly not the best mother in the world, is still surprisingly honest and open with her son. While not expressly admitting guilt in her husband's death, Emily is refreshingly straightforward with her son, telling him about his father, and their life together, and how drugs gave them both some very good times, admitting that it could have been either or both of them that died(which is true). Like I said, she never admits guilt, but the discussion does bring a catharsis of some sort, and it seems to cleanse Emily of some of the guilt and baggage she's been carrying around. The ending disappointed some, but it felt right to me. Emily is recording in San Francisco, with the prospect of a loving relationship with her son in front of her, and she walks off into the sun of a new morning, clean. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/8/4/33522.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 8/4/2008 3:01:15 PM
Body: It’s funny how out of control a rumor can spin on the web. The Angelina Jolie as Catwoman “news” has to be at the top of the list of most reported unconfirmed rumors ever. And it’s sad that it’s not actually true, because after seeing Jolie in the dominatrix outfit she wears at the beginning of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, I’d be perfectly fine seeing her wear another tight black costume for a possible third Christopher Nolan-directed Batman movie. But who instead could play the part, if Jolie is indeed not interested, or not even offered the role (or, obviously, if Catwoman is not in the movie, as screenwriter David Goyer has apparently hinted)? One theory says that Maggie Gyllenhaal will return in the follow-up to The Dark Knight, this time donning a catsuit (Graeme at io9 strongly disputes the idea). Another terrible suggestion is to cast the too-cute Zooey Deschanel as the villainess. A far more interesting recommendation, from Catherine Bray, is Tilda Swinton. But I think the character needs to be a little sexier. Plus, I want to dismiss Bray’s idea on the principle that it’s included in the DenOfGeek list, which consists mostly of the usual hot young actress ideas that probably get thrown around for every casting decision like this. I’m actually shocked that Eva Green wasn’t anyone’s pick, as she’s one of those hot young actresses, and she’s done the “good and bad at the same time” thing in Casino Royale. She was even part of my list until a better candidate edged her out, mostly on the idea that we don’t need to see her replay Vesper Lynd in a Catwoman costume. So, who did make the cut? Check out my 10 favorites, in descending order, after the jump: 10. Halle Berry - She is a good actress, and she was a great sport in accepting her Razzie for playing the character in Catwoman, so wouldn’t it be neat if Nolan gave her a second chance at the part? It certainly fits with the nine lives thing. Plus, with a better script, better direction and, most importantly, a better outfit, the Oscar winner would do a much better job. 9. Cate Blanchett - Another Bob Dylan vs. Bob Dylan showdown! (The Dark Knight’s Christian Bale and Heath Ledger each portrayed Dylan in I’m Not There, as did Blanchett). And Nolan can round out the villain casting with Ben Whishaw as Riddler, Richard Gere as the Penguin and Marcus Carl Franklin as Anarky (or he could be Robin?). Seriously, though, after Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, I’m not sure we ever need to see her as another blockbuster villain. Besides, there’s other Oscar-caliber actresses who would be more enjoyable. 8. Penélope Cruz - Like this sexy Spanish lady, who I thought of for the role based on her line from Vanilla Sky, “I’ll see you in another life, when we are both cats.” Wait, would that mean Tom Cruise would have to appear as Catman? Hell, I’d deal with that if I got to see Cruz prance around with a tail attached to a form-fitting bodysuit. 7. Maggie Cheung - It’s been 12 years since Cheung wore a tight black catsuit for Assayas’ Irma Vep, but she’d still be damn hot as Catwoman. Unfortunately, she has retired from acting, last appearing in Wong Kar-Wai’s 2046 and Assayas’ Clean back in 2004. 6. Rachel Weisz - Something about her wonky eyes makes me think she’d be a good Catwoman. I can’t quite explain what I mean by that. She did a fine job as an attractive yet ultimately evil character in Neil LaBute’s The Shape of Things, so there’s another point for her. 5. Emily Blunt - A well-meaning bitch in The Devil Wears Prada, I’d love to see Blunt do more of the same, only in a catsuit. In a way, she’s like my fill-in for the excluded Eva Green, since I continually mix up their names, and Prada costar Anne Hathaway, who too many people think is as good a choice. 4. Emily Mortimer - Basically my choice for the obscure, indie-cred slot, since I don’t agree with the Deschanel suggestion. Plus, I can see her building off her short stint as the two-faced “Phoebe” on 30 Rock in order to play a terrific villainess. 3. Emily Watson - The last of three candidates named Emily, Watson has always been my favorite love interest for Christian Bale (she’s played opposite “Batman” in Metroland and Equilibrium). Third time’s the charm, I say. 2. Marion Cotillard - I know, I’m probably including too many Oscar nominees and winners in this list, but after Ledger’s performance as The Joker, the role of Catwoman requires talent along with beauty. Besides, Michelle Pfeiffer was nominated for two Academy Awards prior to playing the part in Batman Returns and Halle Berry won an Oscar before giving her Razzie-winning performance in Catowman. So, as the most recent recipient of the Best Actress trophy, the chameleon-like star of La Vie en Rose seems the most appropriate. Oh, and some guy already did a rendering of what she’d look like. 1. Sean Young - The part she always wanted. And what fun it would be for Catwoman to be an older woman. You know, as in a cougar. Which is a kind of cat. There have been crazier ideas — though maybe not crazier actresses. However, Young’s unstable personality should make for an unpredictable and unbeatable performance. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:01:15 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com8/4/2008 3:01:15 PMIt’s funny how out of control a rumor can spin on the web. The Angelina Jolie as Catwoman “news” has to be at the top of the list of most reported unconfirmed rumors ever. And it’s sad that it’s not actually true, because after seeing Jolie in the dominatrix outfit she wears at the beginning of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, I’d be perfectly fine seeing her wear another tight black costume for a possible third Christopher Nolan-directed Batman movie. But who instead could play the part, if Jolie is indeed not interested, or not even offered the role (or, obviously, if Catwoman is not in the movie, as screenwriter David Goyer has apparently hinted)? One theory says that Maggie Gyllenhaal will return in the follow-up to The Dark Knight, this time donning a catsuit (Graeme at io9 strongly disputes the idea). Another terrible suggestion is to cast the too-cute Zooey Deschanel as the villainess. A far more interesting recommendation, from Catherine Bray, is Tilda Swinton. But I think the character needs to be a little sexier. Plus, I want to dismiss Bray’s idea on the principle that it’s included in the DenOfGeek list, which consists mostly of the usual hot young actress ideas that probably get thrown around for every casting decision like this. I’m actually shocked that Eva Green wasn’t anyone’s pick, as she’s one of those hot young actresses, and she’s done the “good and bad at the same time” thing in Casino Royale. She was even part of my list until a better candidate edged her out, mostly on the idea that we don’t need to see her replay Vesper Lynd in a Catwoman costume. So, who did make the cut? Check out my 10 favorites, in descending order, after the jump: 10. Halle Berry - She is a good actress, and she was a great sport in accepting her Razzie for playing the character in Catwoman, so wouldn’t it be neat if Nolan gave her a second chance at the part? It certainly fits with the nine lives thing. Plus, with a better script, better direction and, most importantly, a better outfit, the Oscar winner would do a much better job. 9. Cate Blanchett - Another Bob Dylan vs. Bob Dylan showdown! (The Dark Knight’s Christian Bale and Heath Ledger each portrayed Dylan in I’m Not There, as did Blanchett). And Nolan can round out the villain casting with Ben Whishaw as Riddler, Richard Gere as the Penguin and Marcus Carl Franklin as Anarky (or he could be Robin?). Seriously, though, after Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, I’m not sure we ever need to see her as another blockbuster villain. Besides, there’s other Oscar-caliber actresses who would be more enjoyable. 8. Penélope Cruz - Like this sexy Spanish lady, who I thought of for the role based on her line from Vanilla Sky, “I’ll see you in another life, when we are both cats.” Wait, would that mean Tom Cruise would have to appear as Catman? Hell, I’d deal with that if I got to see Cruz prance around with a tail attached to a form-fitting bodysuit. 7. Maggie Cheung - It’s been 12 years since Cheung wore a tight black catsuit for Assayas’ Irma Vep, but she’d still be damn hot as Catwoman. Unfortunately, she has retired from acting, last appearing in Wong Kar-Wai’s 2046 and Assayas’ Clean back in 2004. 6. Rachel Weisz - Something about her wonky eyes makes me think she’d be a good Catwoman. I can’t quite explain what I mean by that. She did a fine job as an attractive yet ultimately evil character in Neil LaBute’s The Shape of Things, so there’s another point for her. 5. Emily Blunt - A well-meaning bitch in The Devil Wears Prada, I’d love to see Blunt do more of the same, only in a catsuit. In a way, she’s like my fill-in for the excluded Eva Green, since I continually mix up their names, and Prada costar Anne Hathaway, who too many people think is as good a choice. 4. Emily Mortimer - Basically my choice for the obscure, indie-cred slot, since I don’t agree with the Deschanel suggestion. Plus, I can see her building off her short stint as the two-faced “Phoebe” on 30 Rock in order to play a terrific villainess. 3. Emily Watson - The last of three candidates named Emily, Watson has always been my favorite love interest for Christian Bale (she’s played opposite “Batman” in Metroland and Equilibrium). Third time’s the charm, I say. 2. Marion Cotillard - I know, I’m probably including too many Oscar nominees and winners in this list, but after Ledger’s performance as The Joker, the role of Catwoman requires talent along with beauty. Besides, Michelle Pfeiffer was nominated for two Academy Awards prior to playing the part in Batman Returns and Halle Berry won an Oscar before giving her Razzie-winning performance in Catowman. So, as the most recent recipient of the Best Actress trophy, the chameleon-like star of La Vie en Rose seems the most appropriate. Oh, and some guy already did a rendering of what she’d look like. 1. Sean Young - The part she always wanted. And what fun it would be for Catwoman to be an older woman. You know, as in a cougar. Which is a kind of cat. There have been crazier ideas — though maybe not crazier actresses. However, Young’s unstable personality should make for an unpredictable and unbeatable performance. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/unclefestering/archive/2008/7/28/33202.aspx Post By: unclefestering
Post To: unclefestering Blog
Post Date: 7/28/2008 10:03:29 PM
Body: Clean (2004) Directed by Olivier Assayas. Starring Maggie Cheung, Béatrice Dalle, Nick Nolte, Don McKellar, Jeanne Balibar. Clean stars Maggie Cheung as Emily, a junkie and the lover of a rock star, Lee (James Johnston) who overdoses on heroin, who must overcome her own addiction so that she can regain the love of her son. The child is living with his father’s parents while Cheung serves a jail sentence for drug possession and abetting in her lover’s death. Once she gets out of jail, she meets with the grandfather, Albrecht (Nick Nolte). He knows that she isn’t going to be able to care for the child and prevents her from visiting. Free and on her own she moves to Paris, where she comes to realize that her friends don’t really like her, they only tolerated her in order to care for Lee when he was alive. Vernon (Don McKeller), the formare band manager, especially makes it clear that all they old friends blame her for Lee’s death. Jeanne Balibar plays Irene, who used to co-host a rock show with Emily. Like her other “friends” she no longer has much time or use for Emily any longer. She seems to be there mainly as a contrast for Albrecht. While he doesn’t like Emily, he actively encourages her to get her life back together so she might be able to reconcile with her son. Nolte and Cheung are both the highlights of this movie. Both of them try to present the depths of the characters they inhabit. Director Oliver Assayas skirts the Lifetime movie of the week syndrome with this movie. He doesn’t have any of the moralizing shots of long nights sweating and crying and screaming. However, he fails to fill that void with anything else. Assayas depends on the powerful cinematography to fill in for the missing deeper questions. The soundtrack is laden with particularly haunting Brian Eno songs. Cheung manages to play the Yoko One cum Courtney Love Emily stoically. But sometimes I just wanted to see her burst out with some deeper reserve of vitality from the character. Sometime it seems like she just hangs in there because the plot demands it. Nolte is strangely affecting as the substance-free grandfather who is encouraging Emily down the road to sobriety. But despite this, the movie feels somewhat ham-fisted in its attempts to show that everybody deserves a second chance.
]]>Tue, 29 Jul 2008 02:03:29 GMTunclefesteringunclefestering Blog7/28/2008 10:03:29 PM Clean (2004) Directed by Olivier Assayas. Starring Maggie Cheung, B&eacute;atrice Dalle, Nick Nolte, Don McKellar, Jeanne Balibar. Clean stars Maggie Cheung as Emily, a junkie and the lover of a rock star, Lee (James Johnston) who overdoses on heroin, who must overcome her own addiction so that she can regain the love of her son. The child is living with his father&rsquo;s parents while Cheung serves a jail sentence for drug possession and abetting in her lover&rsquo;s death. Once she gets out of jail, she meets with the grandfather, Albrecht (Nick Nolte). He knows that she isn&rsquo;t going to be able to care for the child and prevents her from visiting. Free and on her own she moves to Paris, where she comes to realize that her friends don&rsquo;t really like her, they only tolerated her in order to care for Lee when he was alive. Vernon (Don McKeller), the formare band manager, especially makes it clear that all they old friends blame her for Lee&rsquo;s death. Jeanne Balibar plays Irene, who used to co-host a rock show with Emily. Like her other &ldquo;friends&rdquo; she no longer has much time or use for Emily any longer. She seems to be there mainly as a contrast for Albrecht. While he doesn&rsquo;t like Emily, he actively encourages her to get her life back together so she might be able to reconcile with her son. Nolte and Cheung are both the highlights of this movie. Both of them try to present the depths of the characters they inhabit. Director Oliver Assayas skirts the Lifetime movie of the week syndrome with this movie. He doesn&rsquo;t have any of the moralizing shots of long nights sweating and crying and screaming. However, he fails to fill that void with anything else. Assayas depends on the powerful cinematography to fill in for the missing deeper questions. The soundtrack is laden with particularly haunting Brian Eno songs. Cheung manages to play the Yoko One cum Courtney Love Emily stoically. But sometimes I just wanted to see her burst out with some deeper reserve of vitality from the character. Sometime it seems like she just hangs in there because the plot demands it. Nolte is strangely affecting as the substance-free grandfather who is encouraging Emily down the road to sobriety. But despite this, the movie feels somewhat ham-fisted in its attempts to show that everybody deserves a second chance. http://www.spout.com/blogs/leeroy711/archive/2008/6/3/30367.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: leeroy711 Blog
Post Date: 6/3/2008 12:44:17 AM
Body: Clean (2004) *** stars out of 5 Directed by: Olivier Assayas Starring: Maggie Cheung, Nick Nolte, Martha Henry and James Dennis Running Time: 111 minutes Rated: R Synopsis: Clean begins with the heroin overdose and subsequent death of a formerly successful rock star. This leaves his girlfriend, Emily Wang (Cheung) to serve a six month sentence alone and without the drugs she is so desperately addicted to. She is also left with a deep desire to reconnect with the son, Jay (Dennis) she has yet to build a relationship with. The child has been raised by her deceased boyfriend’s parents, Albrecht and Rosemary (Nolte and Henry) and they are more than apprehensive about letting his addict of a mother slip in and out of his young fragile life. If she is to have any chance of a meaningful relationship with her son, she must change her life. She must get clean. Review: I found myself very reluctant to give this film a bad review. There really was nothing about that I felt was terrible. And there were certainly a few points of it that I found interesting and well done. The problem with this movie is that it in spite of its good points, it was put together in a way that makes it very hard to hold an interest. It was slow paced by and large and it seemed that every time a new aspect (character, job, location) was introduced, it would quickly turn into a dead end, leaving the viewer frustrated and less willing to invest any emotion into the next direction. Although I didn’t think the camera work was anything special enough to spark my interest, I did like some of the longer shots in which we would follow the character through a house and in and out of several rooms without cutting. But again, these were not the types of shots that I would have taken note of if I weren’t trying to think of something good to write about in this review. I think the film maker left the characters a bit under developed as well. I may have had an easier time identifying with Emily, if I had known more about who she was before that fateful day. This could have been done with a few well placed flashback montages. The experiences she shared with her boyfriend, her first drug encounter, carrying the child and the decision to leave him to be raised by others are all scenes that could have made the viewer more emotionally invested in her and her struggles. The one saving grace of this film was, without a doubt the acting. Maggie Cheung was nothing short of superb. She did not take this character and make it her own; rather she took herself and made it her character. It was her performance that, in spite of every thing I didn’t like about this movie, kept me cheering for her. Nick Nolte was more than convincing in his role. His face showed the pain of a good man that couldn’t help but to pull at your heartstrings. Martha Henry played his wife, Rosemary very well and I ended up wishing I would have learned more about her throughout this film as well. In summary, I can’t say that I would recommend this film to everybody. It was slow and sometimes frustrating and if you don’t have a particular interest in the subject of getting sober and the struggles that come with, you may very well consider this one a waste of time. However, if you were looking for a female role that exemplifies the term great performance, look no further.
]]>Tue, 03 Jun 2008 04:44:17 GMTleeroy711leeroy711 Blog6/3/2008 12:44:17 AM Clean (2004) *** stars out of 5 Directed by: Olivier Assayas Starring: Maggie Cheung, Nick Nolte, Martha Henry and James Dennis Running Time: 111 minutes Rated: R Synopsis: Clean begins with the heroin overdose and subsequent death of a formerly successful rock star. This leaves his girlfriend, Emily Wang (Cheung) to serve a six month sentence alone and without the drugs she is so desperately addicted to. She is also left with a deep desire to reconnect with the son, Jay (Dennis) she has yet to build a relationship with. The child has been raised by her deceased boyfriend&rsquo;s parents, Albrecht and Rosemary (Nolte and Henry) and they are more than apprehensive about letting his addict of a mother slip in and out of his young fragile life. If she is to have any chance of a meaningful relationship with her son, she must change her life. She must get clean. Review: I found myself very reluctant to give this film a bad review. There really was nothing about that I felt was terrible. And there were certainly a few points of it that I found interesting and well done. The problem with this movie is that it in spite of its good points, it was put together in a way that makes it very hard to hold an interest. It was slow paced by and large and it seemed that every time a new aspect (character, job, location) was introduced, it would quickly turn into a dead end, leaving the viewer frustrated and less willing to invest any emotion into the next direction. Although I didn&rsquo;t think the camera work was anything special enough to spark my interest, I did like some of the longer shots in which we would follow the character through a house and in and out of several rooms without cutting. But again, these were not the types of shots that I would have taken note of if I weren&rsquo;t trying to think of something good to write about in this review. I think the film maker left the characters a bit under developed as well. I may have had an easier time identifying with Emily, if I had known more about who she was before that fateful day. This could have been done with a few well placed flashback montages. The experiences she shared with her boyfriend, her first drug encounter, carrying the child and the decision to leave him to be raised by others are all scenes that could have made the viewer more emotionally invested in her and her struggles. The one saving grace of this film was, without a doubt the acting. Maggie Cheung was nothing short of superb. She did not take this character and make it her own; rather she took herself and made it her character. It was her performance that, in spite of every thing I didn&rsquo;t like about this movie, kept me cheering for her. Nick Nolte was more than convincing in his role. His face showed the pain of a good man that couldn&rsquo;t help but to pull at your heartstrings. Martha Henry played his wife, Rosemary very well and I ended up wishing I would have learned more about her throughout this film as well. In summary, I can&rsquo;t say that I would recommend this film to everybody. It was slow and sometimes frustrating and if you don&rsquo;t have a particular interest in the subject of getting sober and the struggles that come with, you may very well consider this one a waste of time. However, if you were looking for a female role that exemplifies the term great performance, look no further. http://www.spout.com/blogs/tadiv/archive/2008/4/19/27518.aspx Post By: tadiv
Post To: tadiv Blog
Post Date: 4/19/2008 7:40:09 PM
Body: Palm Pictures presents an Olivier Assayas film titled Clean. Clean stars Maggie Cheung in her Cannes Film Festival Best Actress award winning role as Emily, the junkie wife of a rock star. This picture also stars Nick Nolte, Béatrice Dalle, Jeanne Balibar, Martha Henry, James Johnston, Rémi Martin, and introduces James Dennis. Clean is MPAA rated R for drug content, language and brief nudity. This film runs 111 minutes. The wife of a has-been rock star struggles with the heroin addiction she and her husband shared. After tragedy strikes, she fights to regain her footing in life so that she can, maybe, reenter the life of her son who has lived with his father’s parents since the tragedy. Cinematographer Eric Gautier expertly films this picture, winning the Technical Grand Prize in Cannes, 2004. The editing is very clean and, of course, the performances are very good – as mentioned above, Maggie Cheung won the Best Actress award in Cannes. Nick Nolte also gives a very strong performance in his supporting role reminding us of his real talent. “I believe in forgiveness, people change. If they need to, they change.” Albrecht (Nick Nolte) shares this nugget of wisdom with Emily right about the time in the film when the character development begins to kick in and pay off. Before this point, I was somewhat apathetic towards Emily. We see her make mistake after mistake and wonder how she managed to successfully have a child in the first place. Albrecht’s statement is in stark contrast to that of Irene (Jeanne Balibar) who, having known Emily for years, says “I’ve heard all your lies… People don’t change”. But the audience knows that there is at least some truth in what Emily is telling Irene. As the story proceeds, we see that Emily’s desire to be with her son is changing her. As Albrecht tells of his faith in forgiveness, he also admits that he has a motive for meeting Emily and arranging for her to meet her son. Emily understands his situation and makes some good decisions related to seeing her boy and keeping some promises to Albrecht. In the end, there is a redemption of sorts. Some of Emily’s more recent good decisions pay off and while we do not see everything happen, the film closes with the satisfaction of knowing that things are going to work out after all. Please note this praise – there are no other films referenced in this review – this film is a strong and unique work. While fiction, Clean is a refreshing and hopeful look at someone making a change for the better and for the future.
]]>Sat, 19 Apr 2008 23:40:09 GMTtadivtadiv Blog4/19/2008 7:40:09 PMPalm Pictures presents an Olivier Assayas film titled Clean. Clean stars Maggie Cheung in her Cannes Film Festival Best Actress award winning role as Emily, the junkie wife of a rock star. This picture also stars Nick Nolte, B&eacute;atrice Dalle, Jeanne Balibar, Martha Henry, James Johnston, R&eacute;mi Martin, and introduces James Dennis. Clean is MPAA rated R for drug content, language and brief nudity. This film runs 111 minutes. The wife of a has-been rock star struggles with the heroin addiction she and her husband shared. After tragedy strikes, she fights to regain her footing in life so that she can, maybe, reenter the life of her son who has lived with his father&rsquo;s parents since the tragedy. Cinematographer Eric Gautier expertly films this picture, winning the Technical Grand Prize in Cannes, 2004. The editing is very clean and, of course, the performances are very good &ndash; as mentioned above, Maggie Cheung won the Best Actress award in Cannes. Nick Nolte also gives a very strong performance in his supporting role reminding us of his real talent. &ldquo;I believe in forgiveness, people change. If they need to, they change.&rdquo; Albrecht (Nick Nolte) shares this nugget of wisdom with Emily right about the time in the film when the character development begins to kick in and pay off. Before this point, I was somewhat apathetic towards Emily. We see her make mistake after mistake and wonder how she managed to successfully have a child in the first place. Albrecht&rsquo;s statement is in stark contrast to that of Irene (Jeanne Balibar) who, having known Emily for years, says &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve heard all your lies&hellip; People don&rsquo;t change&rdquo;. But the audience knows that there is at least some truth in what Emily is telling Irene. As the story proceeds, we see that Emily&rsquo;s desire to be with her son is changing her. As Albrecht tells of his faith in forgiveness, he also admits that he has a motive for meeting Emily and arranging for her to meet her son. Emily understands his situation and makes some good decisions related to seeing her boy and keeping some promises to Albrecht. In the end, there is a redemption of sorts. Some of Emily&rsquo;s more recent good decisions pay off and while we do not see everything happen, the film closes with the satisfaction of knowing that things are going to work out after all. Please note this praise &ndash; there are no other films referenced in this review &ndash; this film is a strong and unique work. While fiction, Clean is a refreshing and hopeful look at someone making a change for the better and for the future. http://www.spout.com/blogs/belladonna2054/archive/2008/4/8/27107.aspx Post By: belladonna2054
Post To: belladonna2054 Blog
Post Date: 4/8/2008 5:57:58 PM
Body: Clean (2004) is a movie by Olivier Assayas, director of as Paris, je t’aime (2006), takes us on a journey into the hard world of the music business and drugs. Clean stars Maggie Cheung in her award winning role as Emily Wang, girlfriend and heroin addict of a struggling rocker and fellow junkie, Lee Hauser (played by James Johnson). After breaking off a potential gig in Canada, both travel back to their hotel. They both argue about how she is blamed for Lee’s continuing failures and she ends up leaving for the night and gets high in an empty parking lot. The next morning when Emily returns, the police are in the room where Lee was found dead of a drug overdose. The police arrest her when she attempts to get into the room and discover a couple of bags of heroin in her purse. Emily is sentenced to six months in prison and when she is released, she is briefly reunited with Lee’s father Albrecht (played by Nick Nolte). Albrecht also takes care of Emily and Lee’s son Jay (played by James Dennis) whom they left behind in Vancouver. He goes over what is left of their finances and tells her that the court has awarded custody of Jay to him and his wife, Rosemary (played by Martha Henry). Knowing the predicament that she is in, Albrecht is sympathetic, but taking Jay’s best interests first, he tells Emily to stay away until she can straighten herself out. Emily travels to Paris a few weeks later to build a new life for herself and we see her struggle through the abandonment by friends and family. Upon hitting rock bottom, we finally see her turn around to achieve her ultimate goal: to see her son again and getting another opportunity for a career in music.Maggie Cheung won Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival in 2004 for this role. This was an award well deserved. In a movie that spans two continents (Canada and Europe) and three languages (English, French and Chinese), Ms. Cheung has outdone herself. We see her as the narcissistic addict, going through a cold turkey recovery and finally as the vulnerable mother. Academy Award nominee Nick Nolte, who in real life is a drug addict, does well in his role. The character he plays, Albrecht, is both sensitive and strong, but also caring grandfather and fatherly figure to Emily as he helps her rebuild her life. One of the best scenes in which he displays his sensitive and strong side was after he finds out that Lee has died and his wife and grandson come home and startled, immediately jumps up and cannot speak, but has to tell Rosemary. Overall Albrecht is much more forgiving of Emily than Rosemary, who blames her for the death of their son. Assayas’ film is one of the best independent films that I’ve seen. He brought together a great team of actors, most notably of which was Nick Nolte. He even went as far as going to the music business to include real-life musicians such as Tricky and the band Metric and music producer David Roback, who all have brief cameos in the film. With their involvement, this makes the film more believable. Even Maggie Cheung herself sings a couple of songs. All are connected to the states of which her character she plays is in throughout the movie: chaotic, through the song by the Metric, “Dead Disco”, recovery through her own song “She Can’t Tell You”, then finally at the end as she obtains the future for her and her son with “Wait For Me”. The instrumental music is also notable, with contributors such as Brian Eno, who featured portions of the same score from 28 Days Later in this film, Tricky and David Roback. The cinematography, done by the award winning cinematographer Eric Gautier, was extraordinary and symbolic. In the beginning titles with the factories blowing out smoke out of the smoke towers and then again, with the addition of the explosion, in the scene where Emily gets high is a connection of the environment to Emily, who was becoming more “unclean”. At the end of the film, we see Emily run off the scene looking off a view of the wooded hills in San Francisco that can be seen as a “clean” view. This was a wonderful film and the first I have seen of Olivier Assayas and would love to see more of his work. What grabbed me was the cinematography, then the actors themselves. How they put a lot of effort into their roles was very striking. Not a lot of actors can pull off what they could do and you can tell that Assayas wanted and received the effort from them. If you want to see a great independent film, and you’re new to this genre, I recommend Clean for you.
]]>Tue, 08 Apr 2008 21:57:58 GMTbelladonna2054belladonna2054 Blog4/8/2008 5:57:58 PMClean (2004) is a movie by Olivier Assayas, director of as Paris, je t&rsquo;aime (2006), takes us on a journey into the hard world of the music business and drugs. Clean stars Maggie Cheung in her award winning role as Emily Wang, girlfriend and heroin addict of a struggling rocker and fellow junkie, Lee Hauser (played by James Johnson). After breaking off a potential gig in Canada, both travel back to their hotel. They both argue about how she is blamed for Lee&rsquo;s continuing failures and she ends up leaving for the night and gets high in an empty parking lot. The next morning when Emily returns, the police are in the room where Lee was found dead of a drug overdose. The police arrest her when she attempts to get into the room and discover a couple of bags of heroin in her purse. Emily is sentenced to six months in prison and when she is released, she is briefly reunited with Lee&rsquo;s father Albrecht (played by Nick Nolte). Albrecht also takes care of Emily and Lee&rsquo;s son Jay (played by James Dennis) whom they left behind in Vancouver. He goes over what is left of their finances and tells her that the court has awarded custody of Jay to him and his wife, Rosemary (played by Martha Henry). Knowing the predicament that she is in, Albrecht is sympathetic, but taking Jay&rsquo;s best interests first, he tells Emily to stay away until she can straighten herself out. Emily travels to Paris a few weeks later to build a new life for herself and we see her struggle through the abandonment by friends and family. Upon hitting rock bottom, we finally see her turn around to achieve her ultimate goal: to see her son again and getting another opportunity for a career in music.Maggie Cheung won Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival in 2004 for this role. This was an award well deserved. In a movie that spans two continents (Canada and Europe) and three languages (English, French and Chinese), Ms. Cheung has outdone herself. We see her as the narcissistic addict, going through a cold turkey recovery and finally as the vulnerable mother. Academy Award nominee Nick Nolte, who in real life is a drug addict, does well in his role. The character he plays, Albrecht, is both sensitive and strong, but also caring grandfather and fatherly figure to Emily as he helps her rebuild her life. One of the best scenes in which he displays his sensitive and strong side was after he finds out that Lee has died and his wife and grandson come home and startled, immediately jumps up and cannot speak, but has to tell Rosemary. Overall Albrecht is much more forgiving of Emily than Rosemary, who blames her for the death of their son. Assayas&rsquo; film is one of the best independent films that I&rsquo;ve seen. He brought together a great team of actors, most notably of which was Nick Nolte. He even went as far as going to the music business to include real-life musicians such as Tricky and the band Metric and music producer David Roback, who all have brief cameos in the film. With their involvement, this makes the film more believable. Even Maggie Cheung herself sings a couple of songs. All are connected to the states of which her character she plays is in throughout the movie: chaotic, through the song by the Metric, &ldquo;Dead Disco&rdquo;, recovery through her own song &ldquo;She Can&rsquo;t Tell You&rdquo;, then finally at the end as she obtains the future for her and her son with &ldquo;Wait For Me&rdquo;. The instrumental music is also notable, with contributors such as Brian Eno, who featured portions of the same score from 28 Days Later in this film, Tricky and David Roback. The cinematography, done by the award winning cinematographer Eric Gautier, was extraordinary and symbolic. In the beginning titles with the factories blowing out smoke out of the smoke towers and then again, with the addition of the explosion, in the scene where Emily gets high is a connection of the environment to Emily, who was becoming more &ldquo;unclean&rdquo;. At the end of the film, we see Emily run off the scene looking off a view of the wooded hills in San Francisco that can be seen as a &ldquo;clean&rdquo; view. This was a wonderful film and the first I have seen of Olivier Assayas and would love to see more of his work. What grabbed me was the cinematography, then the actors themselves. How they put a lot of effort into their roles was very striking. Not a lot of actors can pull off what they could do and you can tell that Assayas wanted and received the effort from them. If you want to see a great independent film, and you&rsquo;re new to this genre, I recommend Clean for you. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/music/MemberTagFilms.aspxmusic
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