Daisy Ridley is down and dirty in thrilling ‘Cleaner’
Armed only with her trusty squeegee, Daisy Ridley goes all “Die Hard” on a band of ruthless, hostage-taking eco-terrorists in the preposterous thriller “Cleaner.” Any good? Well, in keeping with the movie’s theme, let’s just say it’s a wash.
Former James Bond helmer, Martin Campbell (“Casino Royale”), dutifully keeps you glued to every cat-like maneuver executed by Ridley’s ex-special ops soldier-turned-window washer Joey Locke, as she dangles precariously from scaffolding hundreds of feet above London’s Canada Square. In the first of a couple of dozen lucky coincidences embedded into Simon Uttley’s high (literally) concept script, Joey just happens to be on her way to removing bird droppings from the window of a grousing tenant when she witnesses appears to be a crime taking place.
Less “Rear Window” than “Outside Window,” Campbell attempts to recreate the Hitchcockian suspense. But there’s never a lick of doubt about how what’s up will go down for Joey and her fellow window cleaner, Noah (Taz Skylar), who she’s about to discover moonlights as a leftist radical.
Contrary to Marcus (Clive Owen), the leader of the Earth Revolution, Noah rejects a non-violent approach to exposing the acts of greed and corruption committed by an oil giant’s top execs, Gerald (Lee Boardman) and Geoffrey Milton (Rufus Jones). No, not Noah. He’s itching for a teensy bit of torture, like cramming a wine bottle down a trustee’s throat. And if Marcus dares object, he’s gone, too. Easy-peasy.
Apparently, during all those long cold nights zipping up and down the sides of one of London’s tallest buildings together, Joey never once mentioned her military background to Noah, just like he never revealed his extracurricular activities. Nor did Joey spill about the uncontrollable rage that got her booted from Her Majesty’s ranks after pummelling a male comrade. But we’re privy to her volatility because minutes before reporting for work (late, of course), we witness her at full volume laying into a home-office bureaucrat for dismissing her neurodivergent brother, Michael (Matthew Tuck), from the job corp for a ninth and final time.
Ridley, with her gamine haircut and soulful eyes, certainly doesn’t look the part of a badass. But you fully subscribe to her MacGiver-like resourcefulness, such as using her cleaning chemicals to spell out “SOS” in giant letters on the side of the structure before setting it ablaze for all to behold. Oh, and what about brother Michael? Where does he fit into all of this with his ever-present Thor hammer in hand? Will said bludgeon be wielded before all is said and done?
Sounds ridiculous, right? It is! But Campbell consistently generates enough fun to counteract your incredulity. I can’t count how many times my heart stopped whenever the camera panned down to the street. Or, when the terrorists begin manipulating the cables supporting Joey’s scaffolding like puppet strings. If you’re fearful of heights, you might want to steer clear.
My prime beef with “Cleaner,” besides its lack of imagination is the simplistic manner in which Michael’s autism is depicted. The Thor hammer is a bit much. But to Campbell’s credit, he presents Michael with an ideal opportunity to prove the hero. Unlike “The Unbreakable Boy,” this week’s other movie with a neurodivergent character, I’m thrilled the role was filled by an actor on the spectrum, but I wish Tuck could have done more in the part.
Concerning Ridley, her work here isn’t up to par with her performances in the “Star Wars” pictures or her recent portrayal of Olympic swimmer Trudy Ederle in “Young Woman and the Sea.” But she holds her own, particularly in her ability to always emphasize Joey’s intelligence over her brawn. As for Skylar, he’s hardly a worthy adversary. Too much “window” dressing and not enough substance. That is not an issue for Ruth Gemmell as Claire, the police superintendent on the ground helping to coordinate Joey’s counterattack. She’s got spunk.
So does the movie, although you wish it didn’t undermine itself with silly plot twists and inane dialogue, such as Joey giving Claire a summary of her life when she should be concentrating on saving the day. But for the most part, “Cleaner” fulfills its vision: A B-movie with cheap thrills and a timely theme delivered by a committed cast. I can’t wholeheartedly recommend it, but I can assure you I had a good time watching it. More pane than pain.
Movie review
Cleaner
Rated: R for brief drug use, violence and language throughout.
Cast: Daisy Ridley, Taz Skylar, Clive Owen, Matthew Tuck and Ruth Gemmell
Director: Martin Campbell
Writer: Simon Uttley
Runtime: 96 minutes
Where: In theaters Feb. 21 (limited)
Grade: B-
