You know, I don't usually say stuff like this, but Michael Keaton DOES make this movie worth watching. His portrayal of an addict struggling to regain control of his life laces his usual comic prowess with just enough depth and insight; it must have taken remarkable technique and control to bring us from revulsion to sympathy without ever spilling into pathos. Take him away and the movie is a well crafted and earnest 12-step promo. It's nice that they steer away from Hollywood happy-ending crap, but what they offer in its place seems like simply a different kind of cliché: the 80s version of the 'serious' movie. Morgan Freeman manages to avoid the burden of being inspirational, but the same cannot be said of M. Emmett Walsh, who of course deserves better. Still, I did watch it beginning to end when I had other things to do. Thanks Michael Keaton.
Review of Clean and Sober
