Daisy Ridley channelsDie Hard’sJohn McClane inCleaner,an uneven action-thriller that has theStar Warsheroine hanging off a London skyscraper while battling ruthless eco-terrorists. She trades in her lightsaber for savage beatdowns in a bone-crushing medley of fists, guns, and pretty much any sharp weapon in the immediate vicinity.The film’s straightforward premise has its share of unexpected twists but fails the logic test by a country mile.Head-scratching developments critical to the plot challenges willing suspension of disbelief. One in particular is so pervasive, it almost derailsCleaner’spositive action elements.
We first meet Joey Locke (Poppy Townsend White) as a scrappy girl sitting dangerously on her towering apartment’s window sill. She hides while her brother Michael takes the blunt of a wretched father’s abuse. In the present, adult Joey (Ridley) runs late for work while still dealing with the fallout from her childhood. The autistic Michael (Matthew Tuck) has once again been kicked out of a care home. She’s forced to take him to her job as a window cleaner in a high-tech, mixed-use office building.
Daisy Ridley Hangs by a Thread
Cleaner, directed by Martin Campbell, follows an ex-soldier-turned-window-cleaner as he attempts a daring rescue of 300 hostages from a hijacked gala. Amidst the crisis, one extremist poses a sinister threat, intending mass murder to send a message to the world.
Joey’s excoriated by her boss for constant tardiness. She pawns a belligerent Michael, who always needs a hug to calm down, on a hapless security officer while heading to scrape bird guts off a window. Meanwhile, a powerful energy company, the building’s biggest tenants, are getting ready to host a fancy gala for their wealthy stockholders. Its repulsive CEOs, brothers Gerald (Lee Boardman) and Geoffrey (Rufus Jones) Milton, tout their commitment to conservation and climate change policies.
Those hollow words linger as the party’s entertainment arrives. Gerald mocks the masked troupe as Cirque du Soleil wannabes. That snide comment turns to gasps of terror as the punchlines whip out machine guns and take the guests hostage. The Miltons shudder when the group’s leader (Clive Owen) and his unhinged lieutenant (Taz Skylar) prove they mean business.They don’t see a horrified Joey outside the windows watching the carnage unfold.
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‘Die Hard’ Redux
Drum roll please…it turns out that Joey is a decorated former soldier expelled from the army for insubordination. That’s bad news for the terrorists in a narrative that’s pretty muchDie Hardredux. Every character fromCleanerseems copied in some form from the action classic.Joey, just like the iconic John McClane, is a lethal protagonist who just happens to be in the right place at the right time.There’s also the requisite computer nerd (Flavia Watson) manning the IT console, which controls everything in the building with a handy flip of a switch.
TheDie Hardcomparisons prove to be detrimental becauseCleaner’sscript isn’t nearly as clever, and has significant plot holes.Joey is stuck outside when the poo hits the fan. She inexplicably can’t call for help and resorts to other methods to get attention. A solid chunk of the first act has her dealing with this dilemma while her brother hides. I can buy that Michael is afraid and impaired by his autism, butCleanerhas him as functional and a computer savant. They’re both sidelined when multiple things could have been down to alert law enforcement or at least stymie the terrorists.
Shaky Subplots Abound
Joey peers through windows like a Peeping Tom.There’s scene after scene of her observing the terrorists unnoticed. It’s unrealistic that they don’t see her, but even more unbelievable that she can hear every word they’re saying outside the windows. Industrial grade glass used in office construction is soundproof. It would be impossible for Joey to listen, have conversations, or audibly discern anything happening inside the building while hanging 30 stories in the air. The film hinges on this ability and it doesn’t make sense.
Cleanerhas a few surprises that could have elevated the script if handled differently.These subplots abound but aren’t fleshed out to their full potential.Ridley and Tuck have chemistry as siblings, but Michael vanishes for large swaths. He only pops up to be rescued or when computer skills are needed. The terrorists also aren’t on the same page as Owen and Skylar differ in their extremist methods. Their tussle for control feels truncated in the film’s brief 90-minute runtime. An opportunity was lost to dig deeper and explore their group dynamics.
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The always likable Ridley is a proven commodity in physically demanding roles. She’s the film’s best attribute. Joey is tender and caring towards Michael, but tough as nails when the situation demands deadly violence.Ridley ups her action game by doling out wicked punishment while dropping F-bombs.The fight scenes are purposely intimate with no overblown set pieces. Joey isn’t mowing down baddies en masse. She takes them out individually by any means necessary.Director Martin Campbell(GoldenEye,Casino Royale,Green Lantern) is an action master and hasn’t lost his touch despite the film’s obvious problems.Cleanerdoesn’t live up to its potential, but can be viewed as a breezyDie Hardknockoff.
Cleaneris a production of Anton and Qwerty Films. It will be released theatrically on February 21st from Quiver Distribution.Tickets are now available on Fandango here.
