Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.5

Clean Blu-ray Movie Review

One man's trash.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III May 27, 2022

Intriguing but fatally derivative, Paul Solet's Clean is yet another tale of a troubled but thoughtful man whose violent past bubbles to the surface after valiant attempts to live a normal life. The titular "Clean" (Adrian Brody) -- whose real name, if he has one, is never given -- works lonely nights as a trash collector who keeps old treasures, repairs them, and helps out his community with the proceeds. He also takes a young teen under his wing; Dianda (Chandler DuPont), who reminds Clean of a daughter no longer with him, but is himself supported by others including his sponsor Travis (Mykelti Williamson). His routine is almost idyllic under the circumstances, but separate incidents involving local drug kingpin Michael (Glenn Fleshler) and his ex-convict son Mikey (Richie Merritt) finally force Clean's hand.

Clean is a fitfully engaging story for sure, with Adrian Brody's performance doing most of the emotional heavy lifting. The character's simple acts of kindness drive the film's first act, establishing an almost unrealistically optimistic but comfortable routine that keeps him grounded while flashes of his past remind us of the phrase "two steps forward, one step back". Smaller roles are filled nicely, from the Tony Soprano-lite stylings of Glenn Fleshler to Mykelti Williamson's solid presence and even RZA as a charismatic pawn shop owner. Chandler DuPont brings more than just disarming sweetness to the appreciative young Dianda, while her grandmother Ethel (Michelle Wilson) is much more guarded and initially resents Clean's regular presence outside their door. (If, by chance, you're extremely bothered by films with a strong "white savior complex", you'll probably agree with her.) But it's these relationships that give Clean its most potent strength, establishing what feels like a genuine small community in surprisingly short order.

How unfortunate, then, that Clean almost inevitably devolves into boring revenge fare, with lustful shots of guns and other weaponry decorating its final act when our hero finally takes matters into his own hands. We've seen enough of these one last job films to last for several decades, and Clean doesn't really diverge from each and every cliché that comes with the territory. It also clearly borrows from well-known films to a truly distracting degree, lifting the main plot of Taxi Driver almost wholesale while borrowing bits and pieces of John Wick, Rocky, and Rocky Balboa. Clean is also unfortunately bogged down with growly, redundant narration by the lead actor (who also co-wrote and produced) that also distracts from its main plot... so hey, let's throw in the theatrical cut of Blade Runner while we're at it.

The lead and supporting performances of Clean, combined with other positive elements that extend to its crisp, wintry cinematography and other fundamentals, at least make it worth a once-over. It's watchable enough and, while this was clearly a labor of love for Brody, the end result is only half of a good film and that doesn't exactly make it a great blind buy. Unfortunately, RLJ Entertainment's Blu-ray doesn't offer much in the way of support: while the film predictably looks and sounds great, the complete lack of extras won't exactly win over anyone sitting on the fence.

Clean Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Clean mostly lives up to its title, juxtaposing its rugged and almost industrial inner-city backdrop with a crisp and pleasing 1080p transfer that predictably looks great during wintry, overcast establishing shots and our title character's slow, steady drives though his neighborhood. Even run-down interiors, from RZA's pawn shop to a hole-in-the-wall paint store and Michael's smoky fish market, impress with decent shadow detail, well-placed overhead lighting, and workmanlike compositions that exhibit good visual storytelling. Nighttime scenes mostly look good too; Clean's early-morning trash runs are a highlight, but other moments (including its literally and figuratively dark final act) are more purposefully underlit and chaotic, revealing a few problem areas with small but noticeable amounts of black crush, posterization, and even ghosting during a few select shots. These moments are far outnumbered by more impressive ones, which easily earns Clean passing marks and makes me glad that we at least got a Blu-ray option.

Clean Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Likewise, the DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix does a capable job with the source material. Clean is obviously driven by different elements as it unfolds: the first half play it mostly straight with crisp dialogue and well-placed background effects that suit its urban environment, while the more action-oriented second leg opens up with bursts of gunfire and a much more tense, dialed-in atmosphere, as well as all the discrete and panning effects that come with such things. Exceptions arise, of course, with Clean's recurring dreams and nightmares bordering on "jump scare" territory without sounding too overcooked. (They are rather heavy-handed and repetitive, though.) All things considered, there aren't many sonic surprises given the subject matter, but what's here certainly does its job so it's tough to complain.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles, as well as a Descriptive Audio track, are both offered during the film.

Clean Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a standard keepcase with John Wick-style cover artwork and no inserts. (A slipcover is advertised for the first pressing, but my review copy did not include one.) No extras are on board.

Clean Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Despite good intentions, a solid first act, and mostly compelling characters, Paul Solet's Clean is yet another tale of one man's desperate attempts to shed his violent past. It's a fatally familiar story that borrows liberally from earlier, better films, even though its modest strengths make it worth at least a once-over for fans of the cast (especially Adrien Brody, who also co-wrote and produced the film). Sadly, RLJ Entertainment's Blu-ray offers minimal support: while the A/V presentation is certainly up to par, the lack of extras makes this tough to recommend as a movie-only disc.