How the hell did this thoughtful kidnap melodrama head straight to video? After all, The Clearing has a hell of a cast - Robert Redford as the hostage, Willem Dafoe as the kidnapper, Helen Mirren as the put-upon wife - while debut director Pieter Jan Brugge uses shifting timeframes, and that sure-footed star trio, to heighten the emotional impact of what would otherwise be a very slight story.
Once Brugge learns to pace a movie beyond sluggish - The Clearing seems much longer than its 91 minutes - he could be one to watch.