As an executive is held captive by an employee, it's up to his wife to deliver the ransom. Even tho it has a majority of flaws as a whole 'The Clearing' packs a talented Cast that tries their best and do a pretty good job for the most part. Dafoe and Redford are excellent in the main roles and Mirren is fantastic as the wife in the supporting role. Where the film struggles is within it's narrative i mean the whole cheating thing and that back and forth with what happened between the 2 men kinda bored me at times but the good perfomances still made me go on with the film plus there's a deeper meaning with the film and how money and happiness is difficult to be earned but as i wrote the narrative was kinda messy at times and it does hurt the movie from it's overall more potentials as a whole. (6.5/10)

The plot is simple, wealthy executive is kidnapped by disgruntled employee. What isn't simple is Wayne (Robert Redford) and Eileen's (Helen Mirren) marriage and that of the kidnapper Arnold (William Dafoe). What unfolds during the kidnapping, request and delivery of the ransom is an unfolding of Wayne and Arnold's lives. Both men's families do not not know them other than as providers. Is it too late, will they have a second chance? If Redford or Mirren is one of your favorites, the film is worth the watch. Good flick on a Saturday afternoon, when you've got the house to yourself so you can focus on the dialogue.

Wayne (Robert Redford) and Eileen Hayes (Helen Mirren) live a comfortable upper class life in Pittsburgh high class suburb. They have two grown children (Alessandro Nivola, Melissa Sagemiller). Then Wayne disappears. He's been kidnapped by former employee Arnold Mack (Willem Dafoe). The FBI investigates which reveals Wayne's ongoing affair. Eventually Arnold demands a ransom.The movie lacks the normal intensity. It's filled with a lot of the inbetween moments. It's a style that keeps the tension simmering at low. There are great actors here and it's fascinating to see them interact. There is also a timeline split going on. It's a great idea but it needs some more thought on its execution. This movie just needs greater intensity.

Sometimes conventions are there for a screenwriter and they get tossed for the sake of some originality. That's the case for Pieter Jan Brugge's "The Clearing", a pensive and reflective "thriller". This is a movie that tries to be a drama through masquerading as a thriller. What comes across is like over-cooked vegetables - undesirable and unpalatable to watch. (spoilers) Robert Redford gets a chance to out-hurrah Willem Defoe in absurd conversations given the chance to berate him, one-up him, and stand-tall in his victim-hood. Conversations are sometimes off kilter and supporting acting and writing for it is brittle. You get the deja vu feeling of Redford acting to love the spotlight even given the circumstances. Need to stick to conventions sometimes.