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Clean

Play trailer Poster for Clean R 2004 1h 51m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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73% Tomatometer 66 Reviews 66% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Junkie Emily Wang (Maggie Cheung) is arrested for heroin possession after her partner, Lee Hauser (James Johnston), fatally overdoses in a Canada motel room. After serving six months in jail, Emily learns she has lost custody of her son, Jay (James Dennis). Lee's father, Albrecht (Nick Nolte), who has been raising the boy with his wife (Martha Henry), gets in touch with Emily. As she regains contact with her child, she struggles to achieve sobriety, find a job and pursue her singing career.
Clean

What to Know

Critics Consensus

In one of her best roles, Cheung gives a believable and arresting performance as a recovering addict.

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Critics Reviews

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Howard Hampton Film Comment Magazine 11/19/2013
The one-two combination of Nolte's essential generosity and decency as an actor with Cheung's innate levelheadedness nicely gets around the customary trumped-up "conflict" movies over-rely on. Go to Full Review Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader 03/02/2008
A disappointment. Go to Full Review Stephanie Zacharek Salon.com 10/07/2006
Maggie Cheung gives an astonishingly complex performance as a junkie rock star trying to clean up her act. Go to Full Review Kaleem Aftab The List 04/25/2019
4/5
Assayas handles the touchy topic judiciously and with remarkable panache. Go to Full Review Demetrios Matheou Film4 03/03/2008
A tough tale that gives a fresh perspective and brittle honesty to the experiences of a recovering drug addict. Go to Full Review Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone TheMovieChicks.com 12/27/2006
2/5
It's a movie about bad choices and suffering the consequences and unfortunately, a lot of the suffering is done on the audience's side of the movie screen. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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11/29/2017 Maggie Cheung is impressive in this film, which showcases her as a serious actor and woman of the world, as she seamlessly speaks English, French, and Cantonese (and even sings). Nick Nolte turns in a fine performance as well. Unfortunately, I found the script to this story of redemption from drugs not as strong as their acting, often wandering, and Olivier Assayas's direction to plod along. I confess that addiction movies are harder for me to enjoy to begin with. The musical performances and soundtrack for such a film could have been better showcased, which, while I suppose wasn't the point of the movie, would have made it more entertaining. I did like the cinematography and panoramic shots that Eric Gautier gave us, but wouldn't recommend this movie without reservations. See more 11/11/2016 A Low-Budget & Overlooked Gem. A Good Soundtrack & Solid Performance By The Lead Both Add Weight To This Look Inside Grief & Loss. Nolte Gives It His Genuine Best With What I Gather Is Some First Hand Experience He Can Go From Given His Own Life Was A Little Mixed Up Around The Time This Was Made. It Is A Little Slow At Times But It Doesn't Shy Away From The Inevitable Tests On The Self, Family & Overall Consequences Of The Drug Scene. See more 04/02/2016 impressive actresses. See more 02/13/2014 one of my favorite Nick Nolte performances See more 12/31/2013 Strong drama about a woaman trying to reconstruct herself after years of being using drugs. Heartbreaking. See more 07/05/2013 3.5/5 --- Three languages in one film [English, French, Cantonese], a film that's intelligently made with quiet understated but impact full scenes about how a moment[s] in one's life can change our future and ourselves. Maggie Cheung is a tour de force in this film as a hard-shelled but tender person/character struggling along to do the right thing. Nick Nolte is the best I've seen him in years...or perhaps ever. Change is possible of you want t enough :) *I couldn't connect emotionally otherwise might've been a 4, had a migraine... See more Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Olivier Assayas

Director

Maggie Cheung

Emily Wang

Nick Nolte

Albrecht Hauser

Béatrice Dalle

Elena

Jeanne Balibar

Irene Paolini

Don McKellar

Vernon

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Clean

A scene from the film "Clean." A scene from the film "Clean." A scene from the film "Clean." A scene from the film "Clean." Clean (2004) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Junkie Emily Wang (Maggie Cheung) is arrested for heroin possession after her partner, Lee Hauser (James Johnston), fatally overdoses in a Canada motel room. After serving six months in jail, Emily learns she has lost custody of her son, Jay (James Dennis). Lee's father, Albrecht (Nick Nolte), who has been raising the boy with his wife (Martha Henry), gets in touch with Emily. As she regains contact with her child, she struggles to achieve sobriety, find a job and pursue her singing career.
Director
Olivier Assayas
Producer
Niv Fichman, Xavier Giannoli, Sarah Perry, Edouard Weil
Screenwriter
Olivier Assayas, Malachy Martin, Sarah Perry
Distributor
Palm Pictures
Production Co
Journeyman Films Ltd.
Rating
R (Drug Content|Brief Nudity)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Canadian French
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 27, 2004, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Apr 28, 2006
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 15, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$136.0K
Runtime
1h 51m
Sound Mix
Dolby SR, DTS