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List Price: $14.94 | | Label: Sony Pictures
Salesrank: 21901
Released: May 27, 2008 |
| Our Price: $3.74 |
| Used Price: $1.49 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Single father and former cop Tom Carver (Samuel L. Jackson) has an unusual vocation - he cleans up crime scenes. But when he's called in to sterilize a wealthy suburban residence after a brutal shooting, Carver is shocked to learn he may have unknowingly erased crucial evidence, entangling himself in a dirty criminal cover up. Directed by Renny Harlin and co-starring Eva Mendes, Ed Harris, Keke Palmer, and Luis Gusman, Cleaner is a dark, gritty crime thriller that proves cleaning up is the dirtiest job there is.
Description of Cleaner:
Samuel L. Jackson stars as Tom Carver, an ex-cop who's turned to cleaning up biological waste, such as the messy remains of a violent crime scene. A typical call takes him to an upperclass home, where a white leather sofa is spattered with gruesome viscera. After the living room has been rendered antiseptic, Tom discovers that the murder may be connected to a high-profile police corruption case... a case that may implicate him as well. After establishing the promising premise, Cleaner requires that you overlook a lot of implausible plot turns--but if you can suspend your disbelief, there's a lot to enjoy. Jackson gives a typically skilled performance; like Gene Hackman, Jackson is an actor who never fails to deliver a solid, engaging, thoughtful performance that lifts everything around him. Ed Harris also provides his craggy charisma and Luis Guzman (The Limey) continues to be an indispensable support player. Eva Mendes, on the other hand, comes across a bit flat, though she is as lovely to look at as ever. Director Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2, The Long Kiss Goodnight) oversells the story--this twisty tale of corruption and overheated love would probably play better with the lean, cool, minimal production values of film noir, rather than Harlin's constantly prowling camera--but he definitely infuses the movie with bubbling energy. All in all, not a great film, but a decent diversion for crime thriller fans. --Bret Fetzer
Cleaner Reviews:
plot heavy 
2009-12-24 - Too much plot, not enough story.
When will crime writers realize that you do not need a bunch of bogus twists and turns for a crime drama to work?
What the Ed Harris character does at the end is absolutely not believable.
They missed a great opportunity here to do a simpler (but more interesting) story about the Samuel Jackson character doing his job (as crime scene cleaner--which is quite a "gig" in and of itself) while trying to raise his teen daughter, instead of all the corrupt cop crap.
Who gives a damn about corrupt cops anymore? I mean the theme is a cliche; it's old. Exactly why Scorsese's The Departed didn't work either.
Worse than the worst CSI episode 
2009-05-08 - "Cleaner" scales new heights of rote cop-movie predictability. Everything you think is going to happen happens about ten minutes later. The A-list cast is wasted. This movie is so bad it even makes Luis Guzman look boring. Stay far, far away.
Good Premise, Weak Story and Wasted Eva Mendes
2009-03-23 - Certainly "Cleaner" looks interesting on paper; A-list actors including Samuel L. Jackson and Ed Harris and the film's story involves a job "crime scene cleaner." But if you are looking for something original, this is not the place. Renny Harlin's follow-up to critically-panned "The Covenant" is a lackluster crime thriller with a weak storyline, but at least there is one interesting thing it has.
Samuel L. Jackson plays Tom Cutler, a former police detective who runs a small cleaning company specializing in cleaning the crime scenes. After cleaning up the bloodstained room of an expensive home (alone, a dead body apparently removed), he realizes that no one, including the police and Ann (Eva Mendes) the wife living in the mansion, ever heard of the "crime scene" for which Tom was hired.
You know there are stories of "murder without a body"; the premise of "Cleaner" is more elaborated and ambitious, but after the mildly interesting introduction the film just goes downhill, having nothing original to offer. Besides its uninteresting story, some of the supporting characters are poorly-written, especially Eva Mendes's terribly bland Ann, who should be much more mysterious.
Back in 90s, Renny Harlin is mostly known for his Hollywood-made over-the-top action films like "The Long Kiss Goodnight" (with Samuel L. Jackson), "Cliffhanger," and "Die Hard 2." But I believe he really wants to be known for something else. In "Cleaner" he spends considerable time depicting the relations between Tom Cutler and his daughter Rose (Keke Palmer) who wants to know more about her dead mother in spite of her father's obvious unwillingness.
Also, our hero's everyday habits such as his almost ritualistic way of working are repeatedly shown. There are snappy editing and smart camerawork (showing the careful way he locks the door every night, for instance) that suggests his desires to get away from the world outside and protect his beloved daughter. The script also tries not to make Cutler's character too good or heroic, which I think is a good thing.
Despite all these efforts, however, the cliché-ridden story is too weak to hold our attention. "Cleaner" doesn't offer much beyond the familiar crime-thriller elements with a convoluted story and incredible climax where mystery, if any, will evaporate quickly, not in the most intriguing way. By the time you reach there, I think you will have lost your interest, not even in the profession of crime scene cleaner itself, which deserves a better treatment.
Scott Kevan is a genius! 
2009-03-21 - I gave this film 5 stars because I think it's one the more creative cinematography efforts in the last few years.
Scott Kevan, Director of Photography, is a visionary who will be providing us with a new way of lighting and composing scenes for years to come. Virtually every scene has a special look to it. Take particular notice to the breathtaking color treatments in some takes and I'm sure the scene where Jackson and Harris are talking in the van on a rainy night will stay with you for a while.
Rent this movie and place it at the top of your queue. Let's hope this arrives in Blu-Ray soon!
It's a Dirty Job.... 
2009-03-07 - I didn't know much about this movie going in, and I think that is a good thing, so I won't give anything away either. The Cleaner is a pretty well written and pretty well acted suspense movie. If you like a good cop drama, I think you will like "The Cleaner" also.
4*
