THE CLEARING

RATING:

Starring: Robert Redford, Willem Dafoe, Helen Mirren, Alessandro Nivola, Melissa Sagemiller. Written by Justin Haythe. Directed by Pieter Jan Brugge.

Rated R for brief strong language.

In The Clearing, Robert Redford is rich rental car businessman, married for many years to his wife, Hellen Mirren, and living very comfortably, who gets kidnapped in his own driveway by a down and out Willem Dafoe, who has been laid off and lives with his wife at her father’s house. Between you and me, that would make me a little whacky also. The movie is told in parallel storyline mode cutting back and forth to the businessman (Redford) getting marched through the woods with Dafoe, and back to his wife (Mirren) in dealing with her older children and the FBI now commandeering their home and their private everyday life.

The performances are good, and very raw. I like the fact that its all character driven. It’s definitely not a glossy film, except every time Mirren is on screen, for obvious reasons. There are a lot of close-ups of characters reacting and struggling with their composure, but no one ever really has a n emotional breakdown, or down pour of emotions as you might expect, except the son. Helen Mirren successfully conveys a women who never has a hair out of place, who maintains perfect grooming and is the perfect hostess even while her husband is in mortal danger.

When Redford is kidnapped, his wife first assumes when he is late getting home for a dinner party, that he is just being selfish. Believe me, we’ve all had that discussion, am I right guys? After the entire day goes by she finally calls the police to report Redford missing. The part I though was interesting was when the FBI agent is going over questions and facts with Mirren and tells her that her husband continued his affair after the time he told her it was over. I expected a little more from this revelation, but after Mirren finally confronts the woman in question, and dishes it out with her a little, the movie moves on, and leaves that are as resolved....kind of a disappointment for me. A little emotion would have been welcome. The only time she breaks is for a short moment, after the ransom is delivered, and she realizes the worst might have already occurred.

Willem Dafoe is always good. But there was no real menace here. His kidnapper is an everyday man, at his final rope and not even very passionate about the whole kidnapping thing. He figures he’s doing it for his wife so that they can be happy and get away and have a better life. Once he realizes that she doesn’t need a better life, it seems that’s when Dafoe’s character decides to get caught.

Redford never exhibits the desperation of someone who thinks he is probably going to die. He handles it, well, like a business would, through negotiations, badgering, and finally just demeaning the kidnapper. There are moments when you think maybe he’ll talk his way out of it and times when there is a physical altercation that help speed things up a little.

Ultimately, I think the Clearing will do just that, clear out the theater. It today’s market of CGI, fast driving cars, and Vin Diesel, a good acting film like this one wont even stand a chance. I liked it, but think maybe you should catch a matinee showing.

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