This is a cosy family film about Frank (Peter Mullan) being made redundant at he age of 55, and the ripple effects it causes in his life. He decides to thumb his nose at age and health considerations to swim the English Channel. This physical challenge works throughout the film as a metaphor for the test that Frank faces in his relationships with family and friends. He is not communicating with his loving wife Joan (the brilliant Brenda Blethyn), who has issues and desires of her own to deal with. He has an awkward and distant relationship with his son Rob (Jamie Sives) and his understanding with best friend Eddie (Irish actor Seán McGinley) begins to quiver when Eddie decides to take a demotion in order not to loose his job.

On A Clear Day is like a cuddly, fuzzy version of a Mike Leigh film. It looks at male identity, how men see themselves as their work, and screenwriter Alex Rose also delves into familial relationships, primarily that of Frank and his son Rob. But as well as this (and it's probably the strongest, most consistent theme in the film) people's struggle to be themselves is explored. Frank, Joan and Rob all want to be accepted, mostly by each other, and even Chan the local chip shop owner, who is Scottish-Chinese, looks for approbation in the face of the racism all around him.

But all of these elements are distilled through a haze of good feeling as if these problems are merely a momentary glitch in the lives of the characters. Unlike the socially real Mike Leigh films, such as the award-winning Secrets and Lies, these characters seem to consider their difficulties as black clouds on their otherwise, sometimes slightly unbelievable, ultra happy existences. Nonetheless there are some very moving, if emotive, moments like when Frank meets a disabled child in his local swimming pool, or when he is unable to speak to his son, despite the fact that he desperately wants to. It's a pity that much of the humour is contrived and misses the mark, like Frank's meek friend listening to a self-development tape and repeating 'I'm a lion', which just comes over as lame. The strong cast bolsters Gaby Dellal's workmanlike direction, and just barely keeps Rose's cute, but flawed story moving.

Rated 12A (see IFCO website for details)
On A Clear Day is released on 2nd September 2005.
On A Clear Day – Official website

See interview with actors Seán McGinley and Peter Mullan.