Cleaner (2007)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Renny Harlin

Writer (WGA):

Matthew Aldrich (written by)

Release Date:

18 January 2008 (Finland)

Genre:

Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

Solving a crime can be dirty work.

Plot:

A former cop who now earns a wage as a crime scene cleaner unknowingly participates in a cover-up at his latest job. |

Plot Keywords:

Crime Scene | Murder Investigation | Morgue | Polaroid | Dictaphone

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Samuel L. Jackson	...	Tom Cutler
Ed Harris	...	Eddie Lorenzo
Eva Mendes	...	Ann Norcut
Luis Guzmán	...	Det. Jim Vargas
Keke Palmer	...	Rose Cutler
Maggie Lawson	...	Cherie
Jose Pablo Cantillo	...	Miguel
Robert Forster	...	Arlo Grange
Edrick Browne	...	Det. Darrin Harris
Marc Macaulay	...	Vic
Rosalind Rubin	...	Crying Woman
Mike Guy	...	Priest #1
Richard Folmer	...	Priest #2
James Barnes	...	Lawyer
Linda Leonard	...	Francine Mason
Ritchie Montgomery	...	George Walton
Patrick Kirton	...	Jeff Lang
Peyton Wetzel	...	Hotel Manager
Yuriana Kim	...	Korean Woman
Stephanie Barnes	...	Marcy
Peter Franzén	...	Police Officer Bronson
Sarah Ann Schultz	...	Reporter Paula Felton
Christa Campbell	...	Coach Beth Jensen
Jada K. Cox	...	Coach Kylie Harris
Sara Jane Henriques	...	Gabriella
Angelina Rivera	...	Lila
Jackson Hurst	...	Paramedic (as Jackson [Ryan] Hurst)
Ron Jacobsohn	...	Church Custodian
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lili Asvar	...	Detective (uncredited)
John T. Billingsley	...	Pedestrian (uncredited)
Heather Bloom	...	Reunion Friend (uncredited)
Kip Cummings	...	Hearse Driver (uncredited)
Jon Dainty	...	Off duty Fireman (uncredited)
Brad Dison	...	News Crew Boom Operator (uncredited)
Tammy Eaton	...	Reunion Friend (uncredited)
Ron Fagan	...	Detective (uncredited)
Ted Ferguson	...	The Hot Dog Man (uncredited)
Rosemary Garris	...	Detective (uncredited)
Chuck Halley	...	Newspaper Photographer (uncredited)
Michael J. Hebert	...	Business Executive (uncredited)
Rodney Hill Jr.	...	Drug Dealer (uncredited)
Walt Hollis	...	Off Duty Police Officer (uncredited)
Richard F Law	...	Police Officer (uncredited)
Mike Martindale	...	Detective (uncredited)
Amy McGee	...	Magazine stand patron (uncredited)
Terry Milam	...	Victim's Neighbor (uncredited)
Wayne Douglas Morgan	...	Off Duty Police Officer (uncredited)
Ashley-Anne Parker	...	(uncredited)
Jeannie Perrin	...	Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Participant (uncredited)
Cynthia Riser	...	News Crew Reporter (uncredited)
Raleigh L. Shelton II	...	Boy at Birthday Party (uncredited)
Cassidy Smith	...	Mourner - Grand-daughter (uncredited)
Bill Stinchcomb	...	Detective (uncredited)
George Wilson	...	Detective (uncredited)
Julie Wittner	...	Voice Over (uncredited)

Directed by
Renny Harlin

Writing credits (WGA)
Matthew Aldrich		(written by)

Produced by
Danny Dimbort	....	executive producer
Michael P. Flannigan	....	producer
Joe Gatta	....	executive producer
Steve Golin	....	producer
Paul Green	....	executive producer
Lati Grobman	....	producer
Samuel L. Jackson	....	producer
Avi Lerner	....	producer
Alix Madigan	....	producer (as Alix Madigan-Yorkin)
David Pomier	....	line producer (as Dave Pomier)
Eli Selden	....	executive producer
Trevor Short	....	executive producer
Julie Yorn	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Richard Gibbs

Cinematography by
Scott Kevan

Film Editing by
Brian Berdan

Casting by
Monika Mikkelsen

Production Design by
Richard Berg

Art Direction by
Tim Eckel

Set Decoration by
Hannah Beachler

Costume Design by
Susanna Puisto

Makeup Department
Allan A. Apone	....	makeup department head
Camille Friend	....	hair department head
Klexius Kolby	....	makeup artist: Ms. Mendes
Francisco X. Pérez	....	assistant makeup artist (as Francisco X. Perez)
JoAnn Stafford-Chaney	....	assistant hair stylist
Robert L. Stevenson	....	hair stylist: Mr. Jackson

Production Management
Diana Lui	....	additional production supervisor: pre-production
David Pomier	....	unit production manager
Joshua Throne	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lynn Wegenka	....	second assistant director
Marvin Williams	....	second second assistant director
Mary Ellen Woods	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Gayle Anderson	....	scrapbook artist
Jack Ballance	....	set designer
Chris Britt	....	lead man
Mike Cunningham	....	property master
James Diggs	....	lead painter
Melanie Ferguson	....	on-set dresser
Joey Gbur	....	set dresser
Jonathan Gesinski	....	storyboard artist
J.D. Jacoby	....	key on-set dresser
Jessica Lee	....	art department
Diego J. Martinez	....	art department coordinator
Elizabeth Mire	....	set dressing buyer
F. Andrew Scott	....	stand-by painter

Sound Department
Steve C. Aaron	....	sound mixer
Joshua Adeniji	....	foley editor
Randy Babajtis	....	sound effects editor
Jeremy Balko	....	adr mixer
Alex Brazan	....	sound editor
Dhyana Carlton-Tims	....	supervising dialogue & adr editor
Robert Dehn	....	assistant sound editor
Jason Dotts	....	sound editor
J. Alex Faucheux	....	sound editor
Jason Gaya	....	assistant sound editor
Judah Getz	....	foley mixer
Jerry Gilbert	....	sound re-recording mixer
Kevin Gradnigo	....	boom operator
Kevin Gradnigo	....	sound editor
Chris Main	....	boom operator
Jonathan Miller	....	supervising sound editor
Andrew Morgado	....	adr mixer
Stuart Provine	....	sound designer
Jonathan Wales	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jared Watt	....	sound utility
Phillip J. Young	....	assistant sound editor (as Phillip Young)

Special Effects by
Michael Clifford	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Angelina Borisowa	....	visual effects assistant editor
Derek Bourque	....	visual effects artist
Lawles Bourque	....	visual effects artist
Rachel Clement	....	digital cleanup artist
Scott Coulter	....	visual effects producer: Worldwide FX
Yasen Denev	....	digital matte painter
Ivelina Dobreva	....	digital compositor
Stanislav Draganov	....	visual effects
John Lands	....	visual effects coordinator
Dennis Little	....	DI producer
Carolina Loreto	....	digital effects artist
Jordan Markov	....	visual effects editor
Nikolay Pachov	....	visual effect assistant editor
Milena Peneva	....	visual effects coordinator
Nick Peshunoff	....	visual effects coordinator
Stefan Tchakarov	....	visual effects production supervisor: Worldwide FX
Vladimir Zdravkov	....	visual effects systems administrator

Stunts
Mickey Giacomazzi	....	stunt coordinator
Dave Thompson	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
Justin Babin	....	rigging grip best boy
Danny Brazen	....	key grip
Darwin Montana Browne	....	co-key grip
Kevin Carlisle	....	grip
Duane Cooper	....	dolly grip: "b" camera
Rowland Egerton	....	rigging grip
Dan Furst	....	video assist operator
Kevin Gazdik	....	best boy rigging electric
Josh Greer	....	assistant camera
Doug Huete	....	best boy electric
Scott Ippolito	....	assistant camera
Joe Iverson	....	electrician
Franklin Jones II	....	best boy rigging grip
Eric Leach	....	camera operator: "a" camera operator
Eric Leftridge	....	first assistant camera
Chris Leidholdt	....	rigging key grip
Jim Leidholdt	....	dolly grip
Luis Lopez DeVictoria	....	grip
Dominic Mainl	....	key first assistant camera
Bradley Martin	....	electrician
Michael Melendez	....	rigging electrician
Robert Morrison	....	grip
Charlie Nauman	....	camera production assistant
John Orphan	....	assistant camera: "c" camera
Robert Owen	....	lighting technician
Trace Schneider	....	electrician
Wayne Sharp	....	grip
Jeff Taylor	....	film loader
Taj J. Teffaha	....	Steadicam operator
Taj J. Teffaha	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Daniel Tkaczyk	....	lighting technician
Jeremy Webre	....	lighting technician
Lisa Wiegand	....	camera operator: "c" camera
Jay W. Yowler	....	gaffer

Casting Department
Jamie Baremore	....	local casting assistant
Brent Caballero	....	extras casting
Tara Duncil	....	extras casting
Tara Duncil	....	local casting associate
Corey Flaspoehler	....	assistant: local casting director
Brinkley A. Maginnis	....	background casting
Brinkley A. Maginnis	....	local casting
Natalie Patterson	....	background casting
Gene Vassilaros	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Leoisick Castro	....	key costumer
Askia Won-Ling Jacob	....	costumer: Mr. Jackson
Meriwether Nichols	....	set costumer
Jared Pendergrass	....	wardrobe assistant
Lexi Price	....	costume assistant
Beverly Woods	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Tom Dailey	....	assistant editor
Julius Friede	....	digital intermediate colorist
Candice Levy	....	post-production coordinator
Dennis Little	....	digital intermediate producer
Sarah Priestnall	....	production supervisor: digital intermediate

Music Department
Selena Arizanovic	....	music coordinator
Jorge Costa	....	score mixer
Gordon Fordyce	....	score mixer
Stephanie Lowry	....	music editor
Ashley Miller	....	music supervisor
Chris Morgan	....	scoring assistant
Sherry Whitfield	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Monte Emery	....	transportation
Robert Larriviere	....	transportation office intern
Vicki Lybrand	....	transportation dispatcher
Beverly Reeves	....	driver
Felicia Zamora	....	driver

Other crew
Danny 'Dano' Anderson	....	set production assistant
Craig Antioco	....	epk director
Adam Babin	....	production secretary
Prince Bagdasarian	....	film and high definition coordinator
Lamonte Bell	....	payroll accountant
Portia Belmont	....	script supervisor
Richard E. Carter II	....	on-set assistant: Mr. Harris (as Richard Carter)
Alexandre Coscas	....	assistant: Mr. Lerner
Trang Dang	....	production coordinator
Christina DeCharles	....	location assistant
Brian Foley	....	assistant: Ms. Selden
Ashley Franklin	....	production office assistant
Gabriel Georgiev	....	location scout
Jeffery Giles	....	assistant: Mr. Gatta
Jennette Ginsburg	....	assistant: Mr. Flannigan & Mr. Pomier
Felisha N. Grice	....	set production assistant
Chris Hadlock	....	assistant production coordinator
James Jereza	....	set medic
Kyoko Kageyama	....	travel coordinator
Michael Klastorin	....	unit publicist
Alan J. Lam	....	production controller
Liz Landers	....	key craft service
Ed Lipscomb	....	location supervisor
Michelle C. Lipscomb	....	location coordinator
Aleksi Mäkelä	....	visual consultant (as Aleksi Makela)
Jennifer Malloy	....	assistant: Mr. Golin
Joan Mao	....	assistant: Mr. Davidson
Tyrone McCoy	....	on-set assistant: Mr. Jackson (as Ty McCoy)
Gregory McNamara	....	location manager
Isaac Meisenheimer	....	production assistant
John A. Metoyer	....	location assistant
Steven Miramontz	....	stand-in: Miguel
Edward Poveda	....	payroll accountant
Vicki L. Sawyer	....	production accountant
Dan Seligman	....	assistant: Ms. Madigan & Mr. Green (as Dan Seligmann)
Oren Senderman	....	assistant: Mr. Flannigan
Ann Shimabukuro	....	key set production assistant
Julie Simmons	....	on-set assistant: Ms. Mendes
Nikki Stanghetti	....	assistant: Mr. Harlin
Arturo Lopez Uscanga	....	scanning manager
Roman Viaris-de-Lesegno	....	vice president finance
Dana Wilkey	....	product placement
Anthony Yuse	....	set production assistant

Thanks
Kathleen Blanco	....	special thanks (as Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco)
Cedric B. Glover	....	special thanks (as Mayor of Shreveport Cedric B. Glover)
Liisa Harjola	....	thanks
Little Harlin	....	thanks
Luukas Harlin	....	thanks
Heini Henttu	....	thanks
Markus Selin	....	thanks
Lorenz Walker	....	special thanks (as Mayor of Bossier City Lorenz Walker)

Production Companies

• Anonymous Content
• MWP Productions
• Millennium Films
• Nu Image Films

Distributors

• Millennium Films (2007) (worldwide) (all media) (sales)
• AMG Entertainment (2009) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Libero (2009) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Manga Films (2008) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Odeon (2008) (Cyprus) (theatrical)
• Odeon (2008) (Greece) (theatrical)
• SP Films (2008) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Scanbox Entertainment (2008) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Screen Gems (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• CatchPlay (2008) (Taiwan) (all media)
• Gativideo (2009) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Ledafilms (2008) (Mexico) (TV)
• Odeon (2008) (Romania) (all media)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Scanbox Entertainment (2008) (Finland) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (Australia) (DVD)
• Top Film (2008) (Russia) (all media)

Special Effects

• Makeup Effects Laboratories (make-up effects)
• Louisiana Media Services (visual effects)
• Digital FX (additional visual effects)
• Worldwide FX (additional visual effects)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  dollies
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  remote camera systems
• Hollywood Intermediate  digital intermediate services
• Louisiana Media Services  production services (post-production)
• Sonic Magic  sound post-production
• Wildfire Studios  digital intermediate facility

MPAA:

Rated R for bloody images, some violence and language.

Runtime:

88 min | Canada:93 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | Finland:90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Canada:18A | Finland:K-15 | Australia:MA | Norway:15 | Singapore:NC-16 | Netherlands:12 | Argentina:13 | Japan:PG-12 | Hungary:16 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Shreveport, Louisiana, USA

Company:

Anonymous Content

Trivia:

Director Trademark: [Renny Harlin] [Finland]Finnish coat of arms and flag is seen on the mirror behind Tom when he's having conversation with Eddie in the hotel room.

Goofs:

Continuity: (At 1:06:59 - 1:07:03) The same scene where Lorenzo opens the door for Tom is shown twice.

Movie Connections:

Features His Girl Friday (1940)

Soundtrack:

Blue Dreams

Beautiful Photography, Boring Plot and a Poor Ending

Cleaner is a surprisingly boring and lackluster movie beautifully photographed. The casting is superb and would seem to be a sure recipe for cinematic success--Samuel L. Jackson, Ed Harris, Eve Mendes and Luis Guzman. The dialog is decent and well acted. The plot is where this movie just completely drops the ball.

The plot begins mildly unbelievably--A crime scene cleaner becomes unwittingly immersed in the cover up of a homicide--and then just snowballs downhill from there into a huge police cover-up (I don't want to "spoil" anything for any potential viewers) with an unbelievable plot twist and then ends in a thoroughly stupid and highly implausible ending.

The upside and downside is this movie is beautifully filmed and with such talent, thought and effort that the cinematography itself keeps you thinking it has to get better and it only gets worse.

I hope Ed Harris got paid a lot of money to do this film! Ed does a great job with the little he has to go with and proves what a great actor he is. Eva Mendes does a poor job playing a recent widow to murdered husband (is she angry/sad/sexy/conspiratorial/or just a gold-digger who married a sugar daddy who just got knocked off?). Luis Guzman does a solid job as usual.

I seem to enjoy the movies where Samuel L. Jackson plays a supporting role or shares the lead rather than being the sole lead e.g. Pulp Fiction, The Negotiator, A Time To Kill, etc... In Cleaner he does a reasonable job with a poor plot until the end where his acting coupled with a bad plot twist left me wondering what I could have done better with the time it took to watch Cleaner.

All in all I wish this cast and DoP would have had a better script. I would recommend that Matt Aldrich stick to acting and give up the script-writing. As I think everything was done well except for the storyline/plot aka the script. I give kudos to Renny Harlin (director) for a job well done.