Clean and Sober

Summary

“Are you an addict Daryl?’”

Warner Archive has recently released the 1988 drama Clean and Sober on Blu-ray. The film stars Michael Keaton in one of his first truly dramatic roles. I had not seen the film, but I have been an admirer of Keaton as an actor since I was a child. His recent performance in the film The Founder ranks as one of my favorite performances by any actor. Given the positive notes on Keatons performance in Clean and Sober from the critics at the time, I watched the film the other night with high hopes. It was one of the better films that I have seen to focus on the difficulties that addicts face in rehabilitation.

Philadelphia commercial realtor Daryl (Michael Keaton) wakes up to a phone call in his bed. He snorts some coke while talking into the phone to someone about some money that has gone missing from an escrow account. Daryl hangs up the phone. There is a naked blonde face down on the bed by him. Daryl rails some more lines and begins to kiss the blonde’s body before realizing that she is nonresponsive. The cops talk to Daryl about how this occurred. Daryl asks if the girl will be alright and the officer tells Daryl that he had better hope so. He tells Daryl to stay close. Daryl immediately heads to the airport and takes a flight out of town. He visits his associate Martin Lux (Brian Benben.) Despite it being the morning, Daryl asks him for a beer. He explains that a girl had a heart attack the night before while she was with him. Martin asks about the missing money in the escrow account and if Daryl took it. Daryl denies everything. Daryl realizes he can’t stay with Martin, so he asks for another beer. He drinks and he drives on his way to a treatment center. The center is essentially cut off from the outside world and no one will be able to reach him, which is helpful considering the trouble he is in. Daryl begins treatment at the center, starting with a couple days of detoxing completely. The film follows the next thirty days of his life as he receives help from a former addict named Craig (Morgan Freeman,) meets a girl facing similar issues with addiction (Kathy Baker,) and gains a compassionate sponsor (R. Emmett Walsh.)

Clean and Sober is a no-nonsense look at a drug addict having a painful wake-up call to change his life. The script by Tod Carroll is realistic and shies away from melodrama which could have easily derailed this film into feeling like an after-school special. Characters are allowed to be multi-dimensional and to have serious flaws. It is obvious from the outset that Daryl is not a great person. I appreciated that the film did not completely absolve Daryl by the end. I have seen friends go through the process after hitting bottom, and Clean and Sober may be a bit of an extreme example (not everyone wakes up to an overdosed girl after stealing money to play stocks,) but that does not change the efficacy with which the script shows the process that addicts navigate in recovery. I like an unsentimental drama, and Clean and Sober is certainly that.

Director Glenn Gordon Caron did not have a huge directorial career for films, largely focusing on television projects, but he definitely showed his ability to draw out fine performances in his debut picture. The main reason to see Clean and Sober is Michael Keaton’s performance. He is exceptional in the role, leaning into the desperate and selfish aspects of the character in equal parts. He draws sympathy from the viewer without becoming fully likable. Keaton is a truly gifted actor. This film showed his range and separated him from other funny leading men a year before he would explode onto the screen as Batman. He completely commands the screen in Clean and Sober. His counterparts are all well cast. Morgan Freeman had a knack for playing characters like Craig, and he fits the role perfectly. I can’t think of another actor more suited to the part. Kathy Baker does well as Charlie who is a hard working woman hopelessly trapped in a bad relationship. R. Emmett Walsh is very good in the role of Daryl’s caring and understanding sponsor. In the finale, his emotional response to a speech from Keaton really drives home the film’s point.

Overall – Clean and Sober is a very effective character study about a man going through rehab. In lesser hands the film could have come off as a melodrama, but everyone in the picture commits to letting the film be unsentimental and unflinching. I have a penchant for small dramas like this, and I enjoyed the film a good amount.

Video

Presented in 1.85:1 aspect ratio in 1080p with an MPEG-4 AVC encode, Clean and Sober looks good on Blu-ray. Warner used a brand new transfer from a new 4K scan, so this film looks as good as it ever will look unless they decide to do a 4K release (which is highly unlikely.) The color palette is pretty muted and cinematography leans towards softer focus than films made today, but the elements have been well preserved. This transfer retains a look that I believe would match the theatrical presentation. This is not a gorgeous film, but the presentation is solid.

Audio

Clean and Sober is given a DTS-HD MA 2.0 track that capably replicates the original theatrical experience. Dialogue is clear, which is arguably the most important element of a film like this. I did not take notice of any hiss or distortion. The score by Gabriel Yared is well composed.

Supplements:

Theatrical Trailer

Overall Scores:

Video – 4/5

Audio – 4/5

Supplements – .5/5

Overall – 4/5

Clean and Sober is an unsentimental character study of a drug addict facing an extremely difficult wake-up call. In lesser hands, this film could have turned into a melodramatic afterschool special, but instead, the script stays true to the realistic difficulties that addicts face during rehabilitation. The film doesn’t take the easy way out and make the characters infallible or completely selfless. Michael Keaton is amazing in the film in one of his first dramatic roles. He is the reason to see the picture, but he is surrounded by a talented cast including Morgan Freeman, R. Emmett Walsh, and Kathy Brown. I enjoyed this small drama a good amount. Warner Archive have given the film a strong release, aside from the lack of substantial supplements. Fans of the picture will be happy to add it to their collection.

The film can be purchased at www.moviezyng.com.