On a Clear Day

Most of us, at one time or another in our lives, have been laid off. When it happens in our youth we shake it off, there are other jobs at hand and opportunities to explore. But when the lay off comes after you spend a significant amount of your life on that job the affect can be devastating. This is what happened to Frank (Peter Mullan). He spent over 36 of his 55 years working as a ship builder in Glasgow. Even under the best of circumstances such an event would be demoralizing but for Frank work was more than a means to earn a living, it had become a means to distance himself from the world, especially his family. A few years after Frank started to work for the ship yard his young son drowned, something Frank has always blamed himself for. He used his job to isolate him from his wife Joan (Brenda Blethyn) and their surviving son Rob (Jamie Sives). Rob is also unemployed, now a stay at home dad raising his twin sons, Andrew and James while his wife Angela (Jodhi May) supports the family. The world just seems to be collapsing in on Frank and when he has to walk through the door of the unemployment office to start his benefits he collapses with a panic attack, winding up in the hospital. Frank does have some old friends from work to help him if only he can bring himself to accept. Eddie (Sean McGinley) is a steadfast fellow always there when needed. Norman (Ron Cook) is a mild mannered chap while shop manager Chan (Benedict Wong) is stoic and pragmatic. Lastly there is Danny (Billy Boyd) who is the kind of friend that always has a cheerful view of the bleakest days. It is this eternal optimism that prompts Danny to make an off the cuff suggestion to Frank, try swimming the English Channel. The idea of such an arduous undertaking is not as strange it first sounds. They three and a half decades of physical labor at the ship yard has left Frank in far better physical shape than most men his age and after all there is nothing on the horizon for him to busy himself with. When Frank decides to seriously start to train he is afraid that his family will not understand and he endeavors to keep his plan from them. His wife and son take this the wrong way and the new secret serves only to distance them more from Frank. Joan starts to feel that the task of being the bread winner has fallen on her and she starts to train in secret to become a double-decker bus driver. Frank has always enjoyed a good swim but now his time in the water becomes his salvation. He cannot be laid off from this task, only he can decide to quit or continue on.

This is an emotional piece whose strength is in being underplayed. While so many films rely on special effects this one uses what many independent films have known for years, talent can make a film. Despite its flaws the film has heart, they type of emotional connection to an audience that in recent years only a British art house film can muster. Frank is a man made redundant after decades of faithful service. For 36 years he worked with pride, 12 hours a day, five days a week. All of a sudden he was no longer a useful worker. In order to avoid his family he devoted himself to a job that just disappeared. When this avenue of isolation evaporated swimming the English Channel presents itself as the perfect solution. It is an achievement that he knows is possible and it will keep him away from the painful memories and doubts that have plagued him for so long. He sees his friend Danny as a son, who but helping him train is able to fill the void left by the alienation with Rob. By making the swim Frank can hope that finally his family will have something to be proud about him.

At the center of this cast is without a doubt Peter Mullan. He has the ability to channel the inner strength necessary to portray Frank. He gives the audience a man that has fallen into a comfortable routine that sheltered him from having to deal with the underlying cause of his overall depression. He feels that he should have been able to save his young son from death and by isolating himself from Rob caused his remaining son to feel guilty. Brenda Blethyn is exceptional as the long suffering and patient wife. She takes on training as a bus driver because she sees a need to step up while her husband deals with his lack of employment. Jamie Sives does very well as the adult son of Frank. There is a natural chemistry between the two men that sells the relationship. For a little comic relief and to fill the need for some optimism Billy Boyd serves well. It is good to see him take on a role in a dramatic smaller film after his part as Pippin in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Like his hobbit role Boyd plays an ever cheerful sort of guy who just can’t accept the glass may actually be half empty.

It must have been difficult for a woman to direct a film about male bonding in a small town but Gaby Dellal takes on the challenge. The strength of her work here is the film is never pretentious. It proudly accepts what it is, a look at one man trying to change his life by pushing himself to his mental and physical limit. Dellal paces the film well with only a few areas that seem to drag a bit. The only real flaw here is the film is often too obvious and straight forward. The audience really doesn’t need to have all the exposition that is presented. The film sets out to inspire and it does achieve that goal nicely.

While Universal Studios is best known for their blockbusters this release demonstrates that they can present a smaller film with the care it deserves. This is a plain vanilla release but the technical specifications are above average. The anamorphic 1.85:1 video is clear, the color is well balanced and the contrast is excellent. The Dolby 5.1 audio provides a full ambience that provides the needed realism. This is a gentle little film that can be enjoyed by the whole family. When you wan to take a break from all the expositions and action of the summer flicks try this one out.

Posted 7/12/06