Imagine you’re a member of the clean-up crew for a murder case, and you come across a suitcase filled with cash. What’s your next step? Unless you have been living quite the sheltered life, taking it won’t end well for all the wisdom contained in Hollywood films.
Well, Siobhan (Melissa Leo) the owner of Good Life Cleaner and her assistants, Alex (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), his girl Megan (Ekaterina Baker) and Chuck (Swen Temmel) readily commit that sin. All of those people manage to find a couple of million dollars hidden away in the chimney of the building they are working on.
This cash had all been with Gabriel (Antonio Banderas), who had three crooked cops to pay off but had to cancel the deal after someone else tried to steal it leading to a massacre that the three were clearing up. It is obvious that both the cops and Gabriel would do whatever it takes to retrieve the cash and in this case they don’t seem to have a problem with employing violence.
Instead of approaching The Clean Up Crew as a standard suspenseful thriller, Matthew Rogers (The Survivalist, The Collective) and Jon Keeyes (Doom Room, Cult Killer) have chosen a rather more comedic tone which, as the press release calls it, “is a quirky, fun action movie filled with adrenaline and laughs” or simply put it in an easier way, made The Clean Up Crew an action comedy.
Most of that laughter needs to be credited to Antonio Banderas, who plays a weird, crime lord absorbing all things Machiavelli. It’s rather tragic not to see such a character misconstrued, as it is too frequently done, it is just played slightly strangely, due to the fact how someone in such a high degree of power can behave and be perceived, though sadly, intelligence isn’t their brightest attribute.
On the other hand, Alex has got zero idea of what is going on and provides a perfect foil as he is completely out of his depth in the predicament he finds himself in. Siobhan and Chuck on the other hand, have got a few tricks, which after the kidnapping of Megan, would transform the game.
Perhaps unexpected for a mid-budget production like this, there is quite a lot of action in The Clean Up Crew. Also, some of it is somewhat more in the humorous vein, including a parody of Matrix-style shootouts and a mockery of split screen scenes. Others, like the last fight, are taken in a rather straightforward fashion.
There are comic and serious moments which Rogers and Keeyes manage to balance as well. The cast has no problems performing in character, avoiding blatant parody and avoiding ‘breaking character’ to the audience even when the material is designed to be as ridiculous as possible. Well, in any case, I expected that from the leads. Swen Temmel, at least in this film, was very competent and not at all like the small roles I had previously seen him in. Another noteworthy performance is by Matthew Tompkins (The Woman Under the Stage, The Ballad of a Hustler) in a smaller role as Gabriel’s right hand.
If all you want is a bit of relaxation then The Clean Up Crew can be recommended. The action and comedy is enough to grab your attention for its ninety five minute runtime.
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