Clean

Olivier Assayas's Clean is one of those small independant films that deserves a wide audience. Clean is the story of Emily Wang (Maggie Cheung) a junkie who may or may not have supplied the drugs that killed her fading rock star husband Lee(James Johnston). Following his death and a short prison sentence she must pull her life together and rebuild the connection with her young son Jay (James Dennis) who is currently in the custody of his grandparents Albrecht (Nick Nolte) and Rosemary. This is a simple yet very human story with great performances from both Cheung and Nolte. The story takes place in both Canada and France. Cheung 's performance in English, French and Chineseis amazing (it won best actress at the Cannes Film Festival). For a film that did not have a wide distribution, this is a sleeper that deserves to be seen

Director Assayas had a clear vision in mind for this story and delivers it with excellent performances by Maggie Chung and Nick Nolte. It's heart-felt, real, sad, beautiful and uplifting (which means it has nothing in common with Assayas new unfocused film "Boarding Gate" or the brilliant, but nasty "demonlover"). "Clean" gives an informed look at the lifestyle and creative process of fringe pop musicians and mirrors the costly infatuation so many have had with destructive drugs. In this case the choice to value something of meaning is the salvation of the main character and the path to redemption makes for a dramatic narrative and emotional feast.

Maggie Cheung's character Emily Wang, has just about hit bottom. Things couldn't get much worse, as she bounces from the kindness of one acquaintance to the next. She's a has-been with a hellish addiction, her famous husband is dead, she's broke, fresh out of prison, and nearly everyone has written her off - except the one person who needs her the most. Not a stereotypical junkie, her character at least seems honest. Her hard edge and abrupt uncouth isn't manipulative. She is beautiful, stylish and hip, and as she falls slack, she drops the needle with a manicured hand. Despite her dignity, she is clearly in pain. Maggie Cheung brings depth to her character. The magic happens when Emily is transformed. The only thing that she wants more than heroine is to be able to love her child. She blossoms. My heart melted when her child's grandfather, played by Nick Nolte, looked her in the eye and said, "People can change. If they have to." It is the hope, the courage, and the... Read more

"Clean" is a striking and touching film that turns around the progressive transformation of woman from Chinese origin, who loses the custody of her own son after his husband (a famous rock star) dies from an overdoses. The tragedy has several plots, the main hast do with her and her social environment. The initial contact with the fathers of his husband, (superbly performed by Nick Nolte), her decision of living in Paris trying to recover a new life and the enormous internal conflicts respect her previous dependence. On the other hand the implacable opinion of the grandmother of this child who induces him to think she was the real guilty of his father's death, and finally the clever steps made by the grandfather (Nolte) when he has to move to London in order to deal with the future release of three albums of his son. What it shocks and engages from this picture is the extraordinary, fluid and organic script, the horrid situation she must surmount in order to deserve a minim... Read more

"Addict" films are a dimebag a dozen. Whether alcohol or drug related, portraying someone in need of a fix can be a great way to showcase your acting chops. These films tend to fall into two categories, however. Either the addict leads a desperate life to his/her ultimate demise or there is a revelatory moment where our character decides to reform! "Clean" adheres to these rules, but thwarts them at the same time. In an intriguingly straightforward and unsympathetic narrative, "Clean" presents the story of Emily Wang (played by the great Maggie Cheung). And while Emily's story may not cover new ground, her character is refreshingly believable and flawed. Emily is a mess and "Clean" never asks us to feel sorry for her. I, for one, appreciated the character ambiguity that allowed Cheung to flesh out a remarkably complex role. Cheung is a former celebrity hoping to reignite the singing career of her husband while harboring her own entertainment aspirations. Their tempestuous r... Read more