Kattiera Nana I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

GazerRise Fantastic!

Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Marva It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Spikeopath On a Clear Day is directed by Gaby Dellal and written by Alex Rose. It stars Peter Mullan, Brenda Blethyn, Jamie Sives, Benedict Wong, Billy Boyd, Sean McGinley, Ron Cook and Jodhi May. Music is scored by Stephen Warbeck and photography by David Johnson. Locations used for the shoot were Glasgow, Isle of Man and Dover.Emotionally shot after being made redundant from his employment at the ship yard, Frank (Mullan) searches desperately for some semblance of hope in his life. Then one day he finds a challenge, a test of endurance to maybe exorcise the demons that haunt his family: Frank aims to swim the English Channel.Following in the wake of great British comedy/dramas such as Billy Elliot, The Full Monty and Brassed Off, On a Clear Day is a perky, yet tender, human interest story. Story may follow a familiar course as regards a protagonist striving against odds for some sort of meaning, redemption, but it's how this particular protagonists actions affect those around him that opens this up as a more fulfilling story. Frank, his wife Joan (Blethyn) and son Rob (Sives) have had a terrible event in their lives, thus the relationship between father and son is desperately strained. Into the mix comes Frank's recent unemployment and the family is in danger of complete implosion, especially Frank who is extremely low on self esteem.Then there are the friends in Frank's life, Eddie (McGinley), Danny (Boyd) and Norman (Cook), and a potential friendship in the making with Chinese Take Away owner Chan (Wong). All men low on confidence, all about to become involved in Frank's goal, his attempt to swim the channel becoming a beacon of hope for all of them. It's this collective feeling of the underdog against life's troubles that gives the film its heart beat; if the film is a heart warmer? Then you will have to watch to find out. It's also very funny, even if much of the comedy is very "laddish", with character names such as Merv the Perv and Mad Bob, it's evident that some of the humour is colourful. While it should be noted that the Scottish accents are likely to be a problem for non residents of the UK and Ireland.Smoothly directed by Dellal and impeccably acted by the cast, this is very much a winner across the board. A film fit to sit alongside those British films mentioned earlier. 8/10

andrew-1192 I have just watched this film, not quite knowing what to expect. I have to say, I was very impressed. Clearly this was a low budget film, but in my view that simply adds to its charm. Film directors have to start with small productions and move up the food chain from there.The latter comment might appear to be a swipe at the quality of the film, however it really shouldn't be inferred that way. I think the production crew did a great job of telling a potential real life situation.In watching this I was reminded of the film 'The Full Monty' which had a broadly similar background - little guys get made redundant, no hope of rebuilding careers, life without hope, yet they pull themselves out of a traumatic situation thru sheer determination. In this case it is one guy rather than several.I enjoyed this film a lot and won't have a problem watching it again in due course.

pipskmail i saw this 4 times! it's about how a Scottish man lost his job after 30 years. and he swims the English Channel. Mr. Billy Boyd who played Pippin in The Lord of the Rings play a touching role as one of the man Frank mate Billy plays Danny. I believe this should be made available on DVD n America. and would like to be informed when it is. Love this movie.Frank goes to the library to look up on how to swim the channel. He meet a man there named Chan and then his other friends join him and together they start to help Frank to train. once he and Danny go in the water to train and Danny gets a cramp and almost drowns. Frank saves him. and Danny ends up in the hospital.Where his mother said, that he could help Frank train but whenever he is with Frank must wear a life jacket. he is a very touching scene.

maryjosephinel However as a pensioner I found the sound inconsistent, it wasn't the accents, as a UK citizen I am used to these, it just seemed to come and go especially in the opening scenes. I thought the script was brilliant, the characters believable and lovable and the quality of the acting was superb throughout. As a new member I am unsure what a spoiler is, and hope this small criticism isn't one, but surely in this age of digital miracles someone could remove the two sightings of the boom mike in the hospital scene where the young man is recovering from cramp after his attempt to swim with the protagonist. Also the style of photography in some scenes, which left the actors decapitated, did not work for me or for my companions but perhaps we're too old to appreciate such things. That said, I would thoroughly recommend the film for family viewing.