Refreshing and inspirational
On A Clear Day (2006)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:64
Fresh:43
Rotten:21
Average Rating:6.2/10
Consensus: Another blue-collar inspirational feel-good British dramedy, On A Clear Day succeeds on the strength of lead actor Peter Mullan's performance and Gaby Dellal's competent direction.
Runtime: 1 hr 39 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Shot on location in Glasgow and Dover, director Gaby Dellal's first feature takes off from a true story of one man's determination to swim the English Channel. The film deftly avoids the pitfalls... Shot on location in Glasgow and Dover, director Gaby Dellal's first feature takes off from a true story of one man's determination to swim the English Channel. The film deftly avoids the pitfalls of sentiment through a self-deprecating humor that recalls THE FULL MONTY in tone and theme, as well as a stunning performance from Peter Mullen (YOUNG ADAM) as protagonist Frank Redmond. After 40 years of working as a shipbuilder, the somewhat taciturn Frank has been "made redundant" and let go from his job. He finds himself utterly unmoored without the routine and trappings that have defined his existence for so long, and suffers a loss of self-respect that he is unable to talk about with his loving wife, Joan (Brenda Blethyn, PRIDE & PREJUDICE), and son, Rob (Jamie Sives). Floundering, Frank becomes obsessed with the idea of swimming the Channel, and undertakes the project with the help of Chan (Benedict Wong, DIRTY PRETTY THINGS), the owner of the local fish-and-chips shop, who becomes Frank's personal trainer. His three best mates (Billy Boyd, Sean McGinley, and Ron Cook) sign on for the ride as well, each discovering new strength in themselves along the way. But it is Frank's relationships with his family that are the most moving part of the film, as he deals with the demons that have hounded him for over 20 years and rediscovers the bonds he shares with his wife and his long-estranged son. [More]
Starring: Peter Mullan, Brenda Blethyn, Billy Boyd, Sean McGinley
Starring: Peter Mullan, Brenda Blethyn, Billy Boyd, Sean McGinley, Jamie Sives, Ron Cook, Benedict Wong, Jodhi May
Director: Gaby Dellal
Director: Gaby Dellal
Screenwriter: Alex Rose
Producer: Sarah Curtis, Dorothy Berwin, Bill Allen
Studio: Focus Features
Reviews for On A Clear Day
...despite their decided lack of Glaswegian accents, Dellal's cast is engaging enough to involve us in this waterlogged but well visualized tale.
Mullan makes Frank a complex, proud and wounded man, a reluctant dreamer who is both melancholic and inspiring. Not a great film, but all the performances are smart.
Set in and around the dockyards of Glasgow, On a Clear Day follows a laid-off shipbuilder who decides to fix his life by swimming the English Channel.
Screenwriter Alex Rose, first-time director Gaby Dellal and their cast consistently hit the right notes, and the result is an uplifting tale that you don't have to be embarrassed to enjoy.
On a Clear Day, though sincere and diverting, is too restrained and conventional -- and just a tad too dull -- to stir up much enthusiasm.
For all its exertions, the film spends most of its time merely treading water.
If it weren't for Scotsman Peter Mullan, who's wonderful as Frank Redmond, On a Clear Day would be intolerably pat.
The recent Anthony Hopkins film The World's Fastest Indian, a charming true story loaded with nutty details, painted a similar picture of an older man's quest, but with much brighter colors than the gray tones of On a Clear Day.
Sweet-natured, if somewhat familiar, On a Clear Day features fine performances by Mullan, Blethyn and Sives. Dellal and cinematographer David Johnson paint an inviting picture of Glasgow.
Another variation of the British feel-good, inspirational dramedy, this time concerning a laid-off shipbuilder who finds new purpose in life.
The fish-n-chips reliability of the film is pleasing enough to suffice, but the attention to character detail is what will really pull you in.
If, like me, you have infinite tolerance for schmaltz-encrusted tales of troubled British proles who seek salvation through recreational self-discovery, go ahead and enjoy strong, silent Peter Mullan as a laid-off Glasgow shipyard worker.
An inspiring and uplifting story about self respect. Director Gaby Dellal steers the story without excessive sentimentality, resulting in a rewarding and enjoyable film in the vein of Billy Elliott and The Full Monty.
[Scottish actor Peter Mullan] saves a drama tangled in the seaweed of life lessons from drowning in pathos.
Gaby Dellal's cynically mushy film, like The Full Monty and its ilk, is best savored only by its target demo: middle-classers who see one imported film a year.
Its watery theme will guarantee that there is not a dry eye in the house when the end credits roll -and a queue at the bathroom straight after.
Latest News for On A Clear Day
January 31, 2006:
Tackling male mid-life crisis in such a manly fashion should work. ![]()
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