CLEANER is in theaters. Daisy Ridley swaps a lightsaber for a squeegee as she tries to thwart a high rise crime.
SYNOPSIS: Set in present-day London, a group of radical activists take over an energy company’s annual gala, seizing 300 hostages in order to expose the corruption of the hosts. Their just cause is hijacked by an extremist within their ranks, who is ready to murder everyone in the building to send his anarchic message to the world. It falls to an ex-soldier turned window cleaner, played by Ridley, suspended 50 stories up on the outside of the building, to save those trapped inside, including her younger brother.
The story is solid enough and the action intense. What works in a plot like this is the gray area of who are the good guys and who are the bad. Obviously some are blatant, while others are up to interpretation. At the center of this is a window cleaner (Ridley) turned hero.
There are engaging moments but at the same time we have seen this film a lot. Though we should watch movies in the theater at every opportunity, I feel like CLEANER is a better watch-at-home option. It has that old school, made for cable TV vibe that you would find your self chilling on the couch with on a weekend afternoon.
Daisy Ridley is joined by Clive Owen and a few lesser known but talented actors. The draw of this film is Ridley, or maybe it is lost on those not engaged in the Star Wars realm. Ridley is Rey in a maintenance jumpsuit. Daisy has a fierce charm about her that is captivating in any role. And it is obviously the hope of the filmmakers that she will carry this journey. And she does. She embraces the role and helps ground the viewer.
Once it is all said and done it was a decent but forgettable film. Rated R for violence, language throughout, and brief drug use.
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