Always a joy to speak with director MARTIN CAMPBELL, this time we’re talking Daisy Ridley, action, and CLEANER in this exclusive interview.
SYNOPSIS: Set in present-day London, a group of radical activists take over an energy company’s annual gala, seizing 300 hostages in order to expose the corruption of the hosts. Their just cause is hijacked by an extremist within their ranks, Noah (Taz Skylar) who is ready to murder everyone in the building to send his anarchic message to the world. It falls to Joey, an ex-soldier turned window cleaner, played by Ridley, suspended 50 stories up on the outside of the building, to save those trapped inside, including her younger brother.
Directed by MARTIN CAMPBELL with script by Simon Uttley, CLEANER stars, among others, Daisy Ridley, Clive Owen, and Taz Skylar.
You all know MARTIN CAMPBELL for his 007 films, Golden Eye and Casino Royale, as well as films like Vertical Limit, Edge of Darkness, The Foreigner, and most recently Memory starring Liam Neeson and the action-packed Dirty Angels which boasts a crew of female protagonists led by Eva Green and Ruby Rose. Long known for his testosterone-fueled fare, with Dirty Angels and now CLEANER, Martin shifts his focus to strong female protagonists who bring just as much action and strength to the table as the men (if not more), and he does so with great success, notably in CLEANER which is an action-packed edge-of-your-seat thriller.
As we delve into the making of CLEANER, Martin sings high praises for his production designer Russell De Rozario for cleverly constructing sets and using blue screen effectively to immerse us into this 50-story high nail-biting tale. But there aren’t enough plaudits when it comes to Daisy Ridley as Martin emphasizes the physicality and stunt work of Ridley, who performed 95% of her own stunts. Important to CLEANER is the psychological thriller aspect of the film and building tension through the contrasting philosophies of the eco-terrorist characters which put everything into motion and then provide for several unexpected twists. As Martin discusses, not only does he re-team with his Beyond Borders star Clive Owen, but with CLEANER he discovered a new talent – Taz Skylar. Completing the picture of CLEANER is the costume design of Amanda Monk and face masks worn by the eco-terrorists which are intricately designed by production designer Russell De Rozario.
Breaking it all down, we discuss, among others:
- Visual storytelling techniques that enhance psychological thriller elements
- subjective camerawork to immerse the viewer in Joey’s experience and her struggle to understand the antagonist’s motives, i.e., outside looking in
- representing Joey’s internal thought process and emotional state through techniques like voiceover, montage, or symbolic imagery
- unsettling or dissonant sound design and music
- color differentials to visually distinguish between the interiors and exteriors; creating a visual separation between Joey’s perspective on the outside and the events unfolding inside the building
- Working with cinematographer Eigil Bryld storyboarding the action sequences carefully, which helped them efficiently capture the shots they needed during the limited filming schedule
- Production Designer Russell De Rozario’s practical sets and environments that supported the action, allowing Martin to achieve the desired realism
- The psychological thriller aspect of CLEANER and character dynamics
- psychological complexity of characters
- Stunt Work and Fight Choreography
- “the utility room” climactic fight
- hanging off a building
- Costume Design
- Mask Design
- and more!
TAKE A LISTEN. . .
by debbie elias, exclusive interview 02/13/2025
CLEANER is now in theatres.
