40
Bit of a mediocre drama from writer-director Assayas despite some good turns, not least from Nick Nolte and Beatrice Dalle.
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What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
40
Dramatically pallid and unconvincing. Despite being written for her, the director's "Irma Vep" muse Maggie Cheung seems oddly miscast here and is ill-served by an emotionally underpowered screenplay that rarely gets beneath the surface of the character's problems.
100
Christian Science Monitor by David Sterritt
Can a misguided adult start afresh with a new set of values and priorities? This ambitious drama, directed by one of France's most resourceful filmmakers, explores that crucial question in depth and detail.
100
A superb effort by a first-rank director, and manna from heaven for Cheung fans.
75
Entertainment Weekly by Lisa Schwarzbaum
Not your average divorce gift: Clean's writer-director Olivier Assayas created the role of recovering rock-world druggie Emily Wang for his ex-wife, art-house/action-pic royalty Maggie Cheung (In the Mood for Love).
70
Village Voice by Michael Atkinson
Hitting the ground in his ultra-naturalistic mode, Assayas only uncages his star's formidable smile once or twice and never demands our empathy, making Clean a uniquely pungent portrait of dependent personalities and the strain they put on the social weave.
60
The Hollywood Reporter by Ray Bennett
Complex but cold tale.
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto) by Rick Groen
It's not so much a movie in three acts as three movies stuffed into a single casing, and often showing the strain.
75
The film gets its distinction from the performances by Cheung and Nolte, whose scenes together are suffused with loss and unexpected mutual compassion.
80
The New York Times by Stephen Holden
Albrecht brings out a side of Mr. Nolte rarely seen on the screen, and he gives a deep and touching portrayal of a haggard, beleaguered older man.