gbkmmaurstad
The plot is simple, wealthy executive is kidnapped by disgruntled employee. What isn't simple is Wayne (Robert Redford) and Eileen's (Helen Mirren) marriage and that of the kidnapper Arnold (William Dafoe). What unfolds during the kidnapping, request and delivery of the ransom is an unfolding of Wayne and Arnold's lives. Both men's families do not not know them other than as providers. Is it too late, will they have a second chance? If Redford or Mirren is one of your favorites, the film is worth the watch. Good flick on a Saturday afternoon, when you've got the house to yourself so you can focus on the dialogue.
HotToastyRag
Robert Redford and Helen Mirren are a married couple with no visible problems. They have a beautiful house, two grown, well-adjusted children, plenty of money, and job security. When Bob leaves the house for work one morning, he has no way of knowing it might be for the last time. . .As if I needed another reason to be afraid of Willem Dafoe, he abducts Robert Redford and holds him at gunpoint deep in the forest while demanding a ransom from Helen Mirren. While in a way The Clearing is a typical kidnapping movie, it's also far less entertaining than most in its genre. Mostly it's just depressing, and the secrets that are revealed about everyone's past aren't very surprising. The good guy-bad guy roles are very clearly laid out; Pieter Jan Brugge and Justin Haythe should have written a far meatier script to keep the audience enthralled. If you like this genre, try renting Trespass or Shattered instead.
dhall58
Redford could have Eastwood's status except for the fact that Redford still insists that he be the star. The man must think he still holds leading man status. He doesn't. He should employ some talent like Hilary Swank, or a Jason Ritter, and give himself a supporting role. But if you know Redford, you know his ego is too big for something like that. Many of these reviews mention his pedigree...well, movies like this didn't get him a pedigree. The Clearing is two vague, and boring non-thrillers about a guy who apparently doesn't want to live. By the time I left the theater I didn't care whether Redford's character lived or died. The movie is short on details, short on drama, short on thrills...yes, it's well-acted. So what? Just because you act well in a bad movie doesn't make it a good movie. It's just a well-acted bad movie. I don't know who reads scripts for Redford (might still be Bill Holderman), or if he does it himself, but he should trade some acting talent for reading talent.
frendzerbaru
i don't know what is on the director mind. After watching this movie I fell like I just wasting more than an hour of my life. I thought I will fell gratefully if I watch Tom and Jerry instead of this unbelievable movie. There is nothing good in this movie, I just don't get it, why its rating not that bad (6.0) . I think there are a lot of retarded give high vote to this movie, which of course it doesn't deserve any of those!! If this movie deserve to be rated 6/10 so maybe Tom and jerry should be rated 30/10. This is the way i express my depression toward this damn movie it totally kick my dick off, luckily i just watch it on DVD instead of movie cinema, because i don't think i will react normally after the end of the movie which will let others to think that i was a psycho.
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