On a Clear Day (2006)
After decades of laboring as a Glasgow shipbuilder, Frank Redmond, a no-nonsense 55-year-old working-class man, suddenly finds himself laid off. For the first time in his life, he is without a job or a sense of direction, and he's too proud to ask for guidance. His best mates - rascally Danny, timid Norman and cynical Eddie - are there for him, but Frank still feels desperately alone. An offhand remark from Danny inspires Frank to challenge himself. Already contemplating the state of his relationships with loving wife Joan and all-but-estranged son Rob, Frank is determined to shore up his own self-confidence. He will attempt the near impossible - swimming the English Channel.
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Wow! Such a good movie.
The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.
Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.
It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,
Drama / Comedy + inspirational sports done well, you cannot beat it. And On A Clear Day is done very well indeed: a very good tale about redundancy and new hope in Scotland told with a glint in the eye and a spring in the step.It also follows along in Brassed Off and Full Monty's line: it is about how we find dignity (And the only two missed opportunities for me in the film were not to use Wyatt's brilliant Shipbuilding and Deacon Blue's Dignity as soundtrack songs).When Frank (Peter Mullan is typical acerbic form) is made redundant he falls to pieces. His mates are there but nothing is clicking. He sets himself an impossible task: to swim the English Channel - he has his personal reasons (Which give the film a deeper edge).But film isn't just about technique or script or even acting: it's as much about the overall effect and this scores very big in this respect.This is a film with huge heart and it is nearly impossible not to be moved or inspired by it.There may be better films out there, but seriously, there weren't many others from 2005 that we simply loved this much.
ON A CLEAR DAY is a wee Scottish film that is full to overflowing with heart and fine performances. Writer Alex Rose and Director Gaby Dellal have managed to explore the psyches of the ordinary folk who face the crises of unemployment, of strained family relations and the fear of loss of pride in one's self and have created not only a sympathetic story with a message, but have also delivered their story with humor and a glint of the eye that makes the whole thing work - very well indeed.Frank (Peter Mullen) watches as the last ship he will ever have worked on is launched as his wife Joan (Brenda Blethyn) and his son Rob (Jamie Sives), daughter in law Angela (Johdi May), and grandson twins celebrate the launching. We soon learn that Frank is now jobless, that there is friction with his son Rob (who had been a twin but the other twin died at age 7) who doesn't have a traditional job but instead is a stay at home Dad. Money is tight and Joan secretly is training to be a bus driver. Franks cronies Eddie (Sean McGinley), Danny (Billy Boyd), and Norman (Ron Cook) see Frank slipping into depression. Frank spends his time swimming at the public swimming pool and while there he sees three young physically challenged boys trying and by will power succeeding to swim. Frank decides he needs to prove himself to his friends, family and himself and decides to swim the English Channel. He enlists his buddy Chan (Benedict Wong) and eventually his cronies and they prepare for the challenging swim. The manner in which this drive influences his marriage, his relationship with his son and his perception of himself is the driver for the very tender ending.The cast is first class all the way, acting with that inimitable UK fashion of finding reality in the simplest of characters. The story is a joy to watch for its understated manner and for the glowing theme of the film. Recommended for all audiences. Grady Harp, July 06
Not since old school days of Local Hero or Gregory's Girl have I had the pleasure of watching a real gem of a film from Scotland as ON A CLEAR DAY.. A tale of of a recently unemployed ship yard worker who seeks to heal the broken relationship with his grown up son after a tragic family accident..Not from emotional grovelling but by setting himself an amazing challenge of swimming the English channel Please check this out.. and swerve the American cheese-munger comedies. This is a neat and tidy comedy with raw emotion and a strong cast and plot to boot...
However as a pensioner I found the sound inconsistent, it wasn't the accents, as a UK citizen I am used to these, it just seemed to come and go especially in the opening scenes. I thought the script was brilliant, the characters believable and lovable and the quality of the acting was superb throughout. As a new member I am unsure what a spoiler is, and hope this small criticism isn't one, but surely in this age of digital miracles someone could remove the two sightings of the boom mike in the hospital scene where the young man is recovering from cramp after his attempt to swim with the protagonist. Also the style of photography in some scenes, which left the actors decapitated, did not work for me or for my companions but perhaps we're too old to appreciate such things. That said, I would thoroughly recommend the film for family viewing.