Clean and Sober

Directed by Glenn Gordon Caron, Clean and Sober follows Michael Keaton’s fast-talking Daryl Poynter as he decides to check himself into rehab and slowly-but-surely begins changing his life. Filmmaker Caron, working from Tod Carroll’s screenplay, delivers an exceedingly (and excessively) deliberate drama that benefits from Keaton’s often spellbinding turn as the impressively unlikable protagonist, with the actor’s mostly riveting efforts matched by a sterling supporting cast that includes, among others, Morgan Freeman, Kathy Baker, and M. Emmet Walsh. (The latter is especially strong as Daryl’s sympathetic sponsor.) Despite its wealth of positive attributes, however, Clean and Sober generally remains unable to capture the viewer’s wholehearted interest and attention – with the arms-length atmosphere perpetuated by a decidedly slack narrative that contains little in the way of forward momentum. (It’s difficult, for example, to work up much enthusiasm for a second half focused predominantly on Daryl’s pursuit of Baker’s reluctant figure.) And although the movie closes on an admittedly powerful note, Clean and Sober has long-since cemented its place as a well-intentioned misfire that functions best as a showcase for Keaton’s stirring, enthralling performance.

** out of ****