The Bottom Line
"The Clearing" is a decent thriller. It's not the best of the year, but the acting is intense and the storyline is interesting enough to keep you occupied for most of the film.
Pros
- Great cast, great performances
- Decent storyline
Cons
- Loses steam about two-thirds of the way in
- No commentary track by Robert Redford
Description
- Commentary track featuring director Pieter Jan Brugge, writer Justin Haythe, and editor Kevin Trent
- Six deleted scenes
- Full-length screenplay
- English Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Sound, and French Dolby Sound
- DVD Release Date: November 9, 2004
Guide Review - "The Clearing" DVD Review
Robert Redford stars as Wayne Hayes, a millionaire businessman with a beautiful wife, Eileen (Helen Mirren), and a gorgeous home. To all outward appearances, life in the Hayes' house is perfect. But that illusion is shattered one morning when Wayne is abducted in front of his own home. Eileen calls in the FBI, and the agents proceed to uncover a few disturbing secrets of Wayne's. With little to go on, Eileen and her son and daughter must wait patiently for a break in the kidnapping case.
While "The Clearing" does center on a kidnapping, it's the relationship between Wayne and his wife Eileen which is truly the focus of the film. Featuring a terrific cast who turn in riveting performances, the film's flaw is in tacking on a Hollywood-style ending to a film that's otherwise fairly intriguing.
As for the DVD release, when you've got Robert Redford as the lead in a film, you need to have a feature-length commentary track featuring the acclaimed actor/producer/director. Redford's forgotten more about filmmaking than most people in the industry will ever learn. Not having a Redford commentary track on "The Clearing" is just a shame. Really, a shame.
