Cleaner (2007)

Renny Harlin is a director whose talent seems to have diminished with every film he's made in the last twenty years. He first came to my attention with DIE HARD 2, one of my favourite movies all time, and then delivered a couple more entertaining movies during the 1990s (namely, the ones without Geena Davis: CLIFFHANGER and DEEP BLUE SEA). Since then, his once solid talent seems to be floundering: he made what might be Stallone's worst ever movie, DRIVEN, and then one of the worst films I've seen in a good while: 2006's THE COVENANT. CLEANER is his next film after that, and the good news is that it's better than its predecessor, but still a disappointing outing.The problem is that, despite a fine cast, this film looks and feels like a TV movie. The scripting is the worst thing about it, a sub-standard effort heavily derived from the likes of CSI. Although it's meant to be a thriller, this is a film utterly devoid of thrills; only the strength of the acting kept me watching. There's one good twist at the outset and then everything plays out in a conventional, seen-it-all-before way. The worst thing is the villain reveal, which is so completely expected it's actually wince-inducing, along with the whole reason for that person being the villain as well.Samuel L Jackson is a fine actor who seems to be mired in sub-standard material lately (SNAKES ON A PLANE anyone?). He gives a typically fine performance here, but his considerable talents are wasted. The same goes for Ed Harris, saddled with a nothing role. I was delighted to see Luis Guzman pop up in a larger role than he's usually given, and he's great too, although again wasted. Robert Forster delivers a cameo but the female lead is given to the horrendous Eva Mendes who never convinces for a second. This cold actress never ignites the screen and she's very poor here – although not quite as bad as she is in GHOST RIDER.Aside from the grisly death clean-up scenes (some of which left me feeling distinctly sickened) there's absolutely nothing to remember about this film – it's just another run-of-the-mill outing and nothing to get excited about.

So strange that flicks with blockbuster names are already for sale for only 1 Euro, new I mean. Look at Cleaner, Ed Harris, Samuel L. Jackson and Eva Mendes to name a few. The flick itself isn't that bad at all but it lacks suspense and for a thriller that is of course the most important thing, isn't it?The story is a bit tame too and you have seen it all before and some things are really predictable but it's the performances that safe this flick.There's a lot of red stuff to spot and the flick starts off rather well with some black humour attached to it. Somehow you keep watching it and you want to know the what and who's but the red herring doesn't work out the way it should be. You know what the filmmakers want you to believe isn't what is happening. If you're coming home from a hard days work then this is exactly the kind of flick you want to see but if you want to use your brains to solve the case then it isn't.Gore 0,5/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 2/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5

"Cleaner" is an OK picture that didn't need to be made and doesn't need to be seen. In the old days of Hollywood it would have been a serviceable 'B' picture and suffers from a suspect script with a weak ending. I often think writers start with a great idea for a film or a book, then can't figure out how to end it. I first had this thought years ago watching "Harvey" (1950).Interesting idea here is a cleaner of crime scenes gets a call for a job, does his work and then can't find out who called it in to him - and is accused of abetting a crime. Pretty good ,but peters out. Samuel L. Jackson is good, Ed Harris is better in a loopy role. Not essential but a passable time killer.

**SPOILERS** Making a very good living running a business involved in cleaning up crime scenes messes retired cop Tom Cutler is called over to the swanky section of town to clean up the mess left by John Norcut. Norcut had his brains, and everything else in his head, splattered over the living room furniture in what seems to be a mob hit-job.With no one answering the doorbell and in Tom finding the house-key under the doormat he makes himself at home cleaning up he place of all the blood and brain matter left by the killer who offed the unfortunate and very unlucky Mr. Norcut. It's the very next day when Tom came over to the Norcut residence to get paid for his services that he finds out from a surprised Mrs. Ann Norut that he was never called to the place and in fact the address he got, which is the same place that he's in now, is totally different from the one the Norcuts reside it!Getting in touch that evening with his good friend in the police department and former partner Det. Eddie Leronzo for a couple of drinks Tom finds out that this Mr. Norcut was in fact the bag-man for indited Police Commissioner Robert Vaughn who's to testify against Vaughn's at his upcoming corruption trial. With Norcut later reported missing by his wife Ann it becomes very evident to Tom, who realizes that he was murdered, that he was used by whoever murdered John Norcut to unwittingly clean up the evidence that would connect him to Norcut's murder! And at the same time framing Tom by being at the crime scene, and cleaning it up, for it! ***SPOILERS*** Tom soon learns, after Norcut's body was found and identified, from Ann that her husband had a secret list of every dirty and underhanded deal made by Commissioner Vaughn and the badge numbers of all the cops who were involved in committing them! Which included non other then Tom himself! Tom was on Vaughn's payroll and was involved in having the man who murdered his wife murdered in prison in retaliation! This has Tom's 14 year old daughter Rose, Keke Palmer, in finding out about her mom's killer being killed in prison feel that her dad, in being responsible for it and keeping it from her all these years, was no better then the criminals that he dealt with while a policeman!It soon comes out that all this slimy and criminal involvement with former Commissioner Vaughn by John Norcut as really a cover for the real reason behind his brutal murder! John Norcut's killer had a much deeper and personal reason for offing Norcut that had to do with his wife Ann whom he was having an affair with! And the most shocking revelation about it wasn't the affair with Norcut's wife Ann, or him finding out about it, that made John Norcut's soon to be killer go wacko! But what resulted from it!