Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Boring

Best movie of this year hands down!

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

Was so surprised this was filmed in Darby, PA. I know you are thinking why would they do that, not exactly Beverly Hills let alone Compton. I think it is theee only time I have even heard a reference to this town and have not been there in decades. Well so much for all the excitement in this production.Have known addicts most of my life and it appears the reviews praise such an accurate portrayal. I found the dialogue plodding and too many gratuitous scenes of Keaton being a jerk, we get it, he's an ahole. And then he spends 30days in rehab and is completely ready for a LIVE-IN relationship, yeah right. He shows no improvement in his dealings with anyone else, hence huge plot hole here.Suggest you watch Ray Milland in "Lost Weekend", now that's an addict my friends and what a wild ride he took us on! "Clean and Sober" is just window dressing compared to Milland's portrayal. I was extremely bored with the incessant panning to dumbstruck facial expressions and lack of realistic conversations. This is a difficult topic to address, I appreciate that, but to downplay the process, even despite two deaths, was an insult to all struggling addicts in recovery.I have enjoyed many Keaton projects and this is definitely a departure from Batman or BeetleJuice, so be prepared for a letdown. I cannot recommend this film for any purpose other than a shallow introspection of an addict in denial. Oh, and EVERYBODY smokes non- stop, extremely annoying, cough!

i've always liked Michael Keaton,and i've seen him in lots of comedic roles maybe one or two dramatic roles,but nothing quite like this.he proves his versatility here,with a career performance,in my opinion.i don't think it's giving too much away to say that Keaton plays a character who has hit rock bottom and keeps on digging.he's an alcoholic and a drug addict,and and in deep financially.so,what starts as a purely selfish decision on his apart becomes a life changing experience.but lets not forget the supporting performances.Morgan Freeman, Kathy Baker,Tate Donovan were all strong,but a standout for me was Luca Bercovici as Lenny.now,back to the film.i found it all quite compelling,but it was the ending which really moved me.it was very understated,yet powerful.the words spoken in the last scene were perfect.for me,Clean and Sober is a 9/10

Keaton's performance as Daryl Poynter, a hot-shot real estate agent turned alcoholic and drug user is on point. He brings the character to life, in fact it is the great cast of this film that makes it good. it has a fairly simple direction from caron and a decent screenplay from carroll, but ultimately this drama relies on the emotions conveyed by its leads and supporting actors, all of which do very well. its not an amazing film, its not the best drama, but its solid, a good film with a good message. Keaton is better here than his over the top in beetlejuice or even his creepy character in pacific heights. Thumbs up from me. a solid film!IMDb rating: 6.6---my rating: 8/10

CLEAN AND SOBER (1988) ***1/2 Michael Keaton, Kathy Baker, Morgan Freeman, M. Emmett Walsh, Tate Donovan, Claudia Christian, Brian Benben. Keaton gives a tour de force performance as chemical addict businessman facing big troubles and decides to cool off in a detox/rehab center run by a no-nonsense counselor (excellent Foreman). Great acting and tight, realistic direction from Glenn Gordon Caron (creator of tv's "Moonlighting" in this his feature film debut) and Baker's scenes with Keaton recall the desperation of Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick in "The Days of Wine and Roses". Watch Keaton's modulated reaction on learning of a tragic event. Heart-wrenching at times.