Simply Perfect

People are voting emotionally.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Astonishing movie! Every sound, repeating quite unconsciously through the film; every strong image; names, words said... everything makes sense in the very end of this incredibly high strung display of human sensitiveness. It starts willfully confusing, just to perfectly end up shattering every apparently right impression, the main characters might have made!Some of the atmospheres reminded me of Henry: portrait of a killer. Something else, may slightly anticipate the feel of Cronenberg's Spider.I'd suggest this film to artists, or simply sensitive people, who don't fear heavy grey skies; blood; true feelings that aren't just right or wrong; to scan a tormented soul. Enjoy.

It took me a few viewing to get into this movie, and my biggest gripe was that the film left the issue of Peter's involvement in a rather disturbing murder unanswered. *SPOILER! Don't read any further unless you've seen the movie* The little girl is murdered at some point when Peter is staying at the hotel. It shows him lying in bed looking up at the ceiling, abruptly cutting to a shot of an unseen assailant beating the girl to death. This seems to imply Peter was involved, however right after this there is a scene where Peter hears, outside his hotel room, the sound of people laughing. Since it is established that Peter constantly hears strange noises, you don't know if this is real or not.Prior to all this is a scene where an older woman (mother or sister) is cross with the girl, threatening to hurt her. Later, when McNally is questioning the maintenance guy over the phone, the guy is not the least bit disturbed he found the battered body of a child, but rather complains to McNally that she smelled so bad he couldn't continue working. In the last few minutes, McNally is seen on the phone saying "Inconclusive?". I took from this part he was talking to his department and they were telling him there was not enough evidence to connect Peter with the murder, thus his findings were inconclusive. In the next scene, McNally is back in the bar, and sitting nearby is a man and woman. The woman is upset, crying, and the man tells her she's like a broken record. I think these two are the angry woman and maintenance guy from the hotel, and that they were the killers, since earlier in the film it was established neither have any real regard for the dead girl. It is a quick shot, almost a throwaway, but look for it the next time you watch the film. Peter's possible guilt as a child killer / abuser is also implied when he beats the girl in the city for accidentally bumping his car. The beating is never seen, only heard, and right after Peter drives away from this there are people on the sidewalk who don't act like they've just seen a man beat up a small girl. This leads me to think this whole incident was in Peter's mind. Anyway, just my two cents. Thanks for reading. Hope I'm not just repeating stuff Lodge Kerrigan says in the commentary, I've not yet seen the DVD. Scott

In my personal opinion (less than an hour after first watching it), I have determined that I have just finished another of many film tasks; to find something unique and striking, and discover a new perspective on a certain level. But this 'something' is also extremely well made, and deep; it's also incredibly sad, and visually grotesque (a few scenes made me recoil, a rare enough occurrence for a man who owns at least 300 DVDs, and has seen countless films with more gore, and even more gratuitous carnage). It is also one of the very best films I have ever seen.The film is about a man named Peter Winter (played by Peter Greene - if you don't know who he is, slap yourself), whom was recently released from a mental hospital for reasons unspecified. From then on he makes a journey of sorts to find his daughter, Nicole. Of course, if the film was merely about a sappy kind of father/child reunion, I would have stopped watching mid-way and called it a night, but there is a very huge problem with Peter. He is a schizophrenic, a man whose brain functions almost like a car radio, tuning in signals, noises, and bizarre voices, all displayed aurally in juxtaposition to the visuals (the effectiveness of this audio technique is so disturbing and enthralling that even David Lynch's personal sound man could not better it's precision). This not A Beautiful Mind. There is no easy way out, and there is no solution for his problem, and the film makes it a point to show you why he acts the way he does. After a while, the effect becomes so oddly familiar, that when, in one scene, Peter's actions are separated from this horrifying noise, we chillingly see the reality of his situation. The only way Peter can (temporarily) relieve himself of this horror is best left for you to find out. If you have a weak constitution, or stomach lining, then consider this a film to avoid, to dread. One scene is of such stunning depravity that it may very well make you leave the room in a state of utter shock.Seemingly, in a decade which was known for being upbeat (both to it's credit and sizable detriment), this little puppy dropped out of the sky in 1993 and stunned whatever few people were fortunate enough to hear it or watch it. I implore you, be one of those people.

Clean, Shaven opens up like many other movies which have tried to deal with schizophrenia: a lonely character, completely disconnected from the world, struggling with the non-controllable impulses caused by this mental disease. Not very original, I'm afraid, and we are left with the feeling of watching the beginning of a one-shot movie that we already know we'll dislike. Fortunately, that happens to reflect only the beginning. After about half an hour (yes, somewhat of a long starter), Kerrigan finally tells us that what we are going to witness is not that basic story everyone could read in so-called scientific magazines about schizophrenia. We are going to witness the psychotic mess from an internal perspective. Which turns the movie into one of the most painful experiences one could ever have. It's not really the acting or the direction, but the atmosphere which sparkles through the whole movie. Some closed, dust smelling, suffocating, awe inspiring and degenerated surrounding. Some infinitely violent scenes will bring you to these hidden mental places in which you'd rather die than lay. This is where the exquisite part of this movie remains (for lack of a better word). Whereas Spider or Fight Club depicted much more the external vision of schizophrenia, Clean, Shaven goes directly to the point: how difficult is it to be schizophrenic? You'll see that the movie is very noisy, some really disturbing noises, as if you were going through the same disease. As Funny Games directed by M.Haneke is purported to make you feel what psychopathy is. The result is the same: you'll end up exhausted, nauseated and perplexed. Some will end up fascinated. But you'll end up richer, either way.