Nicholas Thurkettle

Originally published 7/12/04

The Clearing
Director: Pieter Jan Brugge
Writers: Justin Haythe, from a story by Pieter Jan Brugge and Justin Haythe
Producers: Jonah Smith, Palmer West, Pieter Jan Brugge
Stars: Robert Redford, Helen Mirren, Willem Dafoe, Matt Craven, Alessandro Nivola, Melissa Sagemiller, Wendy Crewson

You can almost see it working on stage – an intense character piece where two people carry out a battle of willpower; while elsewhere, someone worries and wonders about the result. The attention paid to these three central personalities is certainly stage-like. But however effective that speculative version of this story might be, the truth is, it’s not working as a movie right now.

Once in awhile we are reminded that actors, even great actors, can only do so much for a movie. In The Clearing, we see three of the best actors working in cinema doing their damndest to render their characters three-dimensional and compelling. But in the end, it is not enough to overcome the indecisive, often plodding rhythms of a story that turns out to be much less than meets the eye.
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