With its mature performances (most of the cast is between 30-65), modest budget and character-driven plot, The Clearing is the anti-summer movie. Why it was released the same weekend as Spiderman 2, the ultimate summer blockbuster, is beyond me. I could easily have seen this as an October release.

But this is summer and many of the people leaving the theater with me were a bit disappointed. This is not a thriller of the edge-of-your-seat variety. This is not an action movie. This is a drama, plain and simple. 

At its most basic The Clearing is the story of two men and one marriage. Wayne Hayes (Robert Redford) is a self-made man. Successful in business, he's built a life that is to be appreciated and admired. He's still married to his high school sweetheart, Eileen (Helen Mirren) and they have two adult kids.  One morning Wayne is kidnapped by hapless loser Arnold Mack (Willem Dafoe). For Mack, a perennially unemployed husband and father who lives with his father-in-law, kidnapping is a last resort for a man who has lived a life of disappointments.'

The movie follows two tracks: Wayne and Arnold as they talk and bond during the kidnapping and Eileen and her children (Alessandro Nivola and Melissa Sagemiller) as they work with the FBI and negotiate with the kidnappers.

The word that immediately comes to mind when describing The Clearing is quiet. It's a quiet movie. Literally, there are many quiet moments when silence or ambient noise is used instead of a score. The score itself is also quiet. In less literal terms, Mirren in particular gives a strong and quiet performance. Redford and Dafoe as well focus on the nuances of the characters and underplay them nicely.

There is a little action in The Clearing but mainly it's a story about character and the focus is more on the dialogue than actual activity. For many people, that's the big problem. They are expecting a tight and suspenseful popcorn thriller and what they get is a character study of two men who have chosen two different paths and and a woman facing harsh realities about her marriage.

I went into the movie with eyes wide open knowing exactly what to expect and I got what I bargained for. If you are looking for loud, action-packed summer fare, you're wasting your time and money with this one. If you are a fan of Mirren, Redford or Dafoe, you'll enjoy it.