Claire Dolan (1998)

Lodge Kerrigan's austere, stylized follow-up to his minor festival hit Clean, Shaven will no doubt confound viewers expecting a routine thriller about a prostitute caught between her pimp and the man with whom she may be falling in love. But Claire Dolan, while far from perfect, is much more than its plot synopsis might suggest. From its orderly opening shots of a cold, asymmetrical New York skyline to its clean, sharp, and slightly unreal dialogue, it's clear that Kerrigan and lead Katrin Cartlidge are after something more elusive than a heartwarming tale of a whore's redemption; in fact, Claire Dolan sets out to challenge the mere notion of redemption, and whether or not emotionally damaged persons are even capable of it. Cartlidge manages to rivet the audience's attention with precisely what she doesn't say: Her dealings with various johns suggest a woman tethered to her own personal script, one which may not be convincing to us, but which works like a charm with the various businessmen who pay for her services. The supporting cast has smartly been tuned to Claire's odd, formal rhythms; this is a world of commerce and not emotion, and when feeling begins to creep into the picture, the characters inevitably find a way of smothering it. Bearing more in common with the work of such N.Y.C. iconoclasts as Jon Jost, Jonathan Nossiter, or Nick Gomez (in particular the ponderous, anti-thriller rhythms of Illtown), Claire Dolan struggled to find a release after its 1998 festival run. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide