SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

Sexyloutak Absolutely the worst movie.

Quiet Muffin This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

Deanna There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Chrysanthepop Olivier Assayas's 'Clean' takes an in depth look at the life of a young widow who tire to get her life back on track after her former life, that of sex, drugs and rock and roll ended in the death of her husband and a six-month prison sentence. The movie isn't as much about drugs as it is about the struggle of a woman to stay clean and turn her life around in order to prepare herself to be a better mother. The story is told with a lot of subtle dark undertones but it is told with sincerity and there is no pretension about it. Assayas really avoids clichés and his main intention really seems to be to tell a genuine human story. Maggie Cheung delivers a breathtaking performance as the desperate Emily Wang. This is perhaps her final film before she's moved into retirement (though I hope she does come back and do more films because it would be a waste of her talent). Her performance is subtle but it speaks volumes. Likewise, Nick Nolte does an equally amazing job as Emily's sympathetic and strong-minded father-in-law. It is easily one of his best performances. The supporting cast does well too. Beatrice Dalle especially stands out as Emily's friend. In addition, the soundtrack is pretty mesmerizing and it wonderfully adds to the film giving voice to the silent moments. 'Clean' is relevant film especially for those who have survived addiction and still struggle with it every day but that is not to say that it's another one of those preachy this-is-what-you-should-do movies. It has a universal appeal and if Maggie Cheung has chosen this as her last film then it's a fine choice (but of course I hope that she does come back to do more).

Mark Greene How many cigarettes do characters need to smoke on screen before one is tempted to suggest this film cripples itself in a endless, looping tribute to French cinema circa 1965 a la Jean-Luc Goddard? That M. Cheung won best actress for this at Cannes is absolutely baffling, suggesting again that there is much more than meets the eye to jury selection and awards at festivals. Cheung's character travels a flat-line arch; there is no development. No explanation is provided for her character's 'getting clean' other than forced detox in prison, buffered by methadone and then, brace yourself, so she can be trusted to see her son (whom she basically abandoned years ago). Drug use, abuse and addiction can offer some opportunities for storytelling. How one gets there, how one stays there and how one gets out (if at all, see 'Leaving Las Vegas'). Not much of an attempt is made to find out why Cheung's character is/was such a loser, the mother-son bond appearing only as a bald attempt to create character motivation. Clearly in love with itself, this film stood me up. I'm sorry it wasn't better.

slobone Maggie Cheung turns in what is quite simply one of the greatest film performances I've ever seen. She doesn't portray Emily -- she IS Emily. If you watch the interviews on the DVD, she explains that she didn't anticipate what she was going to do in any scene, she just reacted in character to what happened to her. I know, I know -- a lot of actors say this. But this time I think it's really true. As a result her performance has a spontaneity, and a breadth and a depth, that is truly breathtaking.Did I mention that she's acting in three different languages? That hasn't been done since Meryl Streep in Sophie's Choice, I believe. She's also completely convincing in portraying the character's downfall from chic rock star to humble waitress.This is not to take away from the other actors, who are also excellent, especially Nick Nolte (what an underrated actor he is!) and Don McKellen.PS I have friends who didn't want to see this because it sounded yet another movie about a junkie. Well it's not really -- that's only a secondary part of the story. It's really about a woman's transformation, and the victory of a mother's love over desperate circumstances.See it, see it, see it.

asc85 I just rented this film last night, and can't stop thinking about it. Prior to this film, I really never understood the "cult of Maggie Cheung," as I wasn't very impressed with her work in "In the Mood for Love" or "Hero." However, there was no mistake awarding Maggie Cheung Best Actress honors at Cannes for this performance...she was astonishing. And the fact that her performance was so strong speaking in English and French (with a little Mandarin thrown in there as well) makes it all the more remarkable.While Cheung is clearly the primary reason to see this picture, I happened to think it was an excellent story, and Nolte and the child actor were above average as well. What I liked about the plot so much was that I've seen so many films like this that end so horribly and depressingly. Instead, "Clean" ends on a positive (yet realistic I think) note, which was a refreshing change for the type of movie this is.Too bad this wasn't released in America closer to it's original release, and too bad it came and left in American theaters so quickly. It's one of the best American releases I've seen in 2006, and I doubt there will be too many that I will rank higher before the year is out.