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April 21, 2006 > Arts & Entertainment > Clear Day acting clearly succeds

Clear Day acting clearly succeds

By Tasha Chemplavil | Thresher staff

A 55-year-old Scottish shipbuilder gets laid off and walks into a bar. Then director Gabby Dellal’s On a Clear Day supplies a rare punch line: The aging ship worker finds himself, reunites his family and inspires his friends by swimming the English Channel. On a Clear Day is uplifting and funny, but its cheesy ending cheapens the feel-good energy of the early part of the film. Ouch.

Blinded’s Peter Mullan plays protagonist Frank Redmond, who is too old to start over in a new job and not old enough to just roll over and die. Getting laid off makes Frank lose his self-respect, so he goes in search of a new endeavor to regain his dignity, which takes the form of a treacherous 20-mile struggle through bitterly cold waters.

Frank attempts to hide his undertaking from his family, putting a kink in his marriage and damaging his already rocky relationship with his son Rob (A Woman in Winter’s Jamie Sive). For his endeavor, he enlists the help of a few friends, who find the inspiration and courage they desperately need by contributing to Frank’s training.

The film is soaked with flashbacks of young twin boys on a beach, which lead up to the drowning of Rob’s twin, a death Frank blames on himself. This death marked the beginning of Frank’s problems with Rob, who has twin sons of his own.

The parallel between Frank’s struggle with Rob and his idea to swim the Channel sets a formulaic plot progression for the film. Luckily, On a Clear Day focuses its creative endeavors on its actors’ abilities more than its storyline.

The film is filled with actors average American audiences will not recognize — which is unfortunate for average American audiences. The acting in this movie is amazing, and even the children give enjoyable performances.

Mullan does an especially phenomenal job with his portrayal of the downtrodden Frank. As the character’s initial stoicism melts and viewers see his true nature emerge, the audience gets a taste of Mullan’s acting chops. His embodiment of determination throughout the movie is sure to rouse any viewer’s emotional response.

On a Clear Day is not simply about a man’s quest to swim the English Channel. It is about Frank’s relationships with his family and friends, and his mission forces everyone around him to reevaluate their lives. His persistence instills courage in them — just as Frank needs to swim the Channel, his family and friends need him to do it.

The dialogue is funny, filled with jokes that can only be found in foreign cinema, and there is not a single main character who fails to entertain. The cinematography is striking, with countless underwater shots that reel in viewers keen on visual aesthetics.

The only downside to the film is the ending. Sure it’s heartwarming, but at the same time, it diminishes the significance of Frank’s achievement. And while the story is not solely about Frank’s adventure, a large part of it is. The completion of Frank’s two goals become intermingled, but while the reparation of his relationship with Rob becomes more poignant, the completion of his swim becomes less so. The ending is gratifying for the quixotic but unsatisfying for the diehard competitor in all of us.

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