Full Review

If you were a fan of "The Full Monty," the popular film about unemployed men recovering their self-esteem by (of all things) performing a striptease, you'll enjoy "On a Clear Day" (Focus), a poignant Scotland-based story that covers some of the same ground. Here, however, the main protagonist only peels down to his bathing suit!

The film opens with a grand ship launching in Glasgow as the family of 55-year-old shipbuilder Frank Redmond (Peter Mullan) watches the event in awe.

But shortly after, Frank is downsized at the dockyard and sent packing.

Knocked for a loop, Frank now finds himself prone to serious panic attacks, landing him in the hospital. His only solace is his daily swimming routine at the local pool.

Eventually, to give his life purpose, he decides -- against all probability -- to swim across the English Channel.

With the help of his mates Danny (Billy Boyd), Norman (Ron Cook), Eddie (Sean McGinley), and Chan (Benedict Wong), the last the taciturn owner of the local fish-and-chips shop, he trains for the grueling 20-miles-plus stint.

Frank keeps his plans from his family, feeling he can't confide in them, though wife Joan (Brenda Blethyn) has her own private aspiration: She's secretly hoping to be a bus driver, though she fails the test several times.

Meanwhile, his grown son Rob (Jamie Sives), a stay-at-home, overly protective father of twin boys, mistakenly believes Frank blames him for the death of his sibling when they were children, and though not totally estranged, keeps a remote distance. (Both Frank and Rob are haunted by the death of said son and brother 25 years earlier, the sketchy details of which are shown periodically in flashback.)

Director Gaby Dellal is making her feature-film debut, and she is a talent to watch. She's elicited impressive performances across the board. It's Mullan who anchors the film with his honest and multifaceted portrait of a man torn by conflicting emotions. But all the actors embody their roles superbly.

Cinematographer David Johnson evocatively photographs the Glasgow, Isle of Man, and Dover locations, and his use of close-ups for the expressive cast is especially revealing.

Screenwriter Alex Rose's script conveys positive messages about forgiveness, taking chances, conquering fears, following your heart, supporting your fellow man, and standing up for your beliefs. And its portrayal of the humiliation that comes with sudden unemployment is sensitively handled.

The movie is sentimental, yes, but in the most authentic possible way, and generally avoids bathos.

Swimming becomes a metaphor for Frank's midlife transition, as well as for the spiritual renewal and the life-altering transformation of all the characters. We won't spoil the outcome, but suffice to say as a film, "On a Clear Day" is a clear winner.

The film contains a few instances of conversational profanity, rough, and crude language, and partial locker-room nudity, precluding viewing by the youngest adolescents. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.

The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Movies have been evaluated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishop's Office for Film and Broadcasting according to artistic merit and moral suitability. The reviews include the USCCB rating, the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and a brief synopsis of the movie.

The classifications are as follows:

• A-I -- general patronage;
• A-II -- adults and adolescents;
• A-III -- adults;
• A-IV**
• L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. L replaces the previous classification, A-IV.
• O -- morally offensive.