On A Clear Day, the film

On A Clear Day is an English film about a Scottish 55 year old working class fellow who gets laid off and decides to swim the English Channel.

It is film about mid-life crisis that gets resolved, at least for a while, by finding a purpose even if it as trivial as swimming the English Channel.

Frank is one of those silent, reserved types who has difficulty expressing emotions and likes to keep secrets from his wife and son. Frank's wife also keeps secrets from Frank for reasons that are not clear.

It takes the triumph of swim to open up the emotional log jam which is the artificial and saccharine resolution of the creative tension of the film. It is this ending which makes the film seem cheap, artificial, and keeps it from being a more powerful and uplifting story.

I found the film entertaining enough to watch the whole thing although I did it in two parts over two days.

I give it a 3 on the Markham scale of 5.