Clean

France/USA/UK 2004

Picture and details imdb

Seen 2 September 2006

Maggie Cheung plays an ex-addict who tries to straighten her life so that she'll be able to be a real mother again to her young son. The whole film depends a lot on this one character and Maggie Cheung carries the role well. That was a biased statement as I've been besotted by this actress since I saw her in 'Centre Stage' and 'In the mood for love'. The whole persona of the struggling woman who tries and stumbles often in her quest to get her son is done without excesses. A very understated approach is effective in this context as the director does not aim to show the real nitty gritty of the drug addicts life. But what we have is more the emotional undercurrents that is reflected in most scenes especially when the mother confronts the son. The supporting cast does a commendable job making the whole film a joy to watch.