I think the movie has been made with a good intention, however it is far from reality. The reason why i am stating so boldly is, i myself counsel at a halfway house, interact with them and constantly try to figure out what works for them to overcome. The role played by Maggie was Worthy watching, what i meant by commenting 'far from reality' is the movie shows a high profile couple addicted to heroin. Maggie's decision to give up drugs to get back her son Jay was clearly not portrayed well. If giving up drugs was so easy, i don't think anybody would like to be hooked on to it. A strong motivation surely helps, however cannot be the only factor for somebody to recover from addiction. The movie shows as though all her friends are concerned with her addiction and want her to get back to normal life, in real life, co-addicts are the greatest friends of addicts. A similar hangout place or a simple stress can trigger an addict to relapse, Maggie seems to miraculously win over everything in no time.

To get the full, globe-trotting flavor of "Clean," one need simply note that Emily Wang is a Chinese immigrant living in Paris with her British rock star boyfriend, and that their child is being raised by the young man's parents in Vancouver, Canada. All I can say is that "Babel" clearly has nothing on this film when it comes to international story lines spanning widely varying cultures and time zones.Though a French film, "Clean" actually begins in the English-speaking section of Canada where Emily and her husband, Lee Hauser, both heroin addicts, are desperately attempting to jumpstart Hauser's fading music career. The couple seems to be patterned somewhat after John Lennon and Yoko Ono, since everyone around them seems to think that Emily's undue influence on him is bringing him down both personally and professionally. When Hauser dies of a drug overdose, Emily - who earned some renown of her own as a music show hostess on an MTV-style interview show on French TV a decade or so back - is arrested for heroin possession and sentenced to six months in prison. Upon her release, she returns to Paris, agreeing not to have any contact with her son until she can kick her drug habit and make a decent life for herself.As a cautionary tale about drug addiction in the music business, "Clean" doesn't show us anything we haven't already seen in countless films (and VH-1 specials) on this very same subject before. Yet, although the movie is a bit too scattered in its focus at times, when it is zeroing in on the things that really matter - Emily's attempts at overcoming her addiction and her efforts at forging a meaningful relationship with her young son - it is poignant, profound and deeply touching. The movie is blessed with a pair of outstanding performances by Maggie Cheung as Emily and Nick Nolte as Hauser's father, a kindhearted soul who believes in forgiveness and who offers a helping hand to a woman whose life, despite all her best efforts, is constantly teetering on the edge of disaster. Their scenes together, as the two characters reveal their fears, insecurities and even tentative hopes to one another, are both spellbinding and breathtaking, and show us what fine movie acting is really all about.

The former successful forty-two years old rock star Lee Hauser (James Johnston) is decadent and his friends blame his girlfriend Emily Wang (Maggie Cheung) for the fall in his career due to excessive use of drugs. Their son Jay (James Dennis) is raised by his grandparents Albrecht Hauser (Nick Nolte) and Rosemary Hauser (Martha Henry) in Vancouver. When Lee dies of overdose in a motel room, Emily is sentenced to six months in jail. She moves to Paris where she unsuccessfully struggles to keep clean. When she decides to retrieve the guard of he son, she is supported by her father-in-law and finds the necessary strength to rebuild her life."Clean" is a heavy drama of second chance in life with great performances of Maggie Cheung and the boy James Dennis, who probably has the strongest lines with the rejection to his mother. Nick Nolte performs an experienced nice man that believes in forgiveness, but he, actor, seems to be tired. The inconclusive end makes the optimistic viewer like me believes in a final redemption of Emily, but it is open to different interpretations. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "Clean"

I just rented this film last night, and can't stop thinking about it. Prior to this film, I really never understood the "cult of Maggie Cheung," as I wasn't very impressed with her work in "In the Mood for Love" or "Hero." However, there was no mistake awarding Maggie Cheung Best Actress honors at Cannes for this performance...she was astonishing. And the fact that her performance was so strong speaking in English and French (with a little Mandarin thrown in there as well) makes it all the more remarkable.While Cheung is clearly the primary reason to see this picture, I happened to think it was an excellent story, and Nolte and the child actor were above average as well. What I liked about the plot so much was that I've seen so many films like this that end so horribly and depressingly. Instead, "Clean" ends on a positive (yet realistic I think) note, which was a refreshing change for the type of movie this is.Too bad this wasn't released in America closer to it's original release, and too bad it came and left in American theaters so quickly. It's one of the best American releases I've seen in 2006, and I doubt there will be too many that I will rank higher before the year is out.