"Claire Dolan" isn't normally my kind of film - sex and betrayal and self-hate and the like - but it has a few things going for it. Vincent D'Onofrio gives a typically good performance, with the kind of subtlety that he does so well. Colm Meaney is also good, extremely unlikable here. Katrin Cartlidge, in the title role, is a bit of a mystery. She's excellent, but tough to identify with.I watched the film mainly for Lodge Kerrigan. I'd previously seen his other two films in a similar vein. Which is, to say, stories of loners emotionally cut off from the world around them. But in this case, I found myself thinking that a little more distance would be appreciated. In his first and second films, "Clean, Shaven" and "Keane", the characters are so distant that they're practically on another planet. That is an approach that Kerrigan is much more successful at. Here, the relationships drag down and unfocus things a bit too much. Which brings me back to D'Onofrio. He is the best part of "Claire Dolan". All scenes with him are the best, the most intense.The cinematography is good. Clean, crisp, and harsh. Teodoro Maniaci does great work here. He shot Kerrigan's first film, "Clean, Shaven", and he brings out the same sense of alienation here. In the end, this is a pretty good film. Not nearly as good as it might have been, but there's something to be gained from the experience.

This film, I may have read, was a French production, and I recognize one actor (the man Claire picks up in a bar for quick sex before dumping)from French films I've seen. It does have that episodic quality of "Vivre Sa Vie," another film dealing with prostitution. Many of the exterior and interior shots were interesting, and while there was a lack of emotion to much of the film, it seemed to give the it character, for better or worse. Some scenes stand out: Meaney's literally dumping the cat out the window (possibly to his/her death), giving an insight into that personage's character; D'Onofrio's being mugged in a rundown area. This seemed realistic, as was his reaction afterward (I once spoke to someone who had suffered the same). A possibly unrealistic touch: Claire's working for a pimp. Even though this is a specific case, from what I have read, escorts at that price range tend to be independent and not beholden to procurers. Also, one of the earlier reviewers commented that "classy" guys wouldn't hire prostitutes. This is probably true of someone who enjoys cheating on a wife, or someone who abuses the girl they've hired verbally and/or physically. But many others are simply lonely and may need relief, preferably with someone younger.

i usually am not the sentimental type but when i heard of katrin cartlidges death, believe me, i burst into tears. we lost one of the most charismatic, talented and intense actresses ever and this film proves it. her enigmatic, scene-stealing presence can´t be matched. this film is as haunting as kerrigans debut CLEAN SHAVEN. that´s all there is to say about this original piece of work. and i can´t wait to see kerrigan´s new film IN GOD´S HANDS which is still in the making.

This movie is unlike any other american movie I've seen in quite a long time now. It is good to know that there is still hope for the american cinema industry, that not everyone is interested in making horrible films only because they might be successful, because, honestly, I am tired of watching movies with weak scripts, horrible acting and incompetent direction. This movie proves that not everything is lost, specially because it was made by a young director, which means he can and, hopefully, will still surprise us with lots of wonderful films. "Claire Dolan" along with "Judy Berlin" are two of the best american movies of the new generation I've seen.