Michael Clayton

Michael Clayton

2007 was actually a pretty good year for cinema. With There Will Be Blood, No Country for Old Men and Atonement all battling for the critics' love, and the indie circuit basking in Juno's glow, I would have expected Tony Gilroy's Michael Clayton to get lost in the shuffle. And yet, Michael Clayton managed to make a nice, little dent in the box office and win some real critical love, appearing on many of the top ten lists at the end of the year and bringing in seven Academy Award nominations.

A serious-minded film that resists MTV-style editing in favor of a more measured pace, and that refuses to dumb down its story or dialogue for the audience, Michael Clayton is about Michael (George Clooney), a law firm's "fixer" who is sent in to solve the firm's biggest problems. The current problem is that Michael's good friend and firm partner Arthur (Tom Wilkinson, Batman Begins) has stopped taking his medication for his manic-depression. Poor Arthur stripped naked during a deposition and chased the opposing legal team out into the parking lot. It's up to Michael to find Arthur, reign him in, and discover why he went bonkers. Arthur's client, a billion dollar chemical company mired in a class action law suit, is understandably enraged; one of their lead executives Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) considers taking matters into her own hands.

Doesn't sound very exciting, does it? But in the assured hands of screenwriter-director Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton is classy cinema, beautifully shot by Robert Elswit (who actually won the Oscar that same year for There Will Be Blood), and superbly acted by a quality ensemble, that included the late, great director Sydney Pollack (Tootsie). Given the quality of the creative team involved, it should be no surprise how good the film is. The first 2/3 especially are enthralling.

The last 1/3 does begin to unravel a bit. Much of the film is told through flashback, so the climax of the film is absolutely devoid of tension, which is a big mistake. And then following the climax, we just kind of grow through the same motions we've seen a thousand times before in other movies and TV shows. It's not that the ending is bad. The scenes work, especially because it gives both Clooney and Swinton showcase dialogue to speak - I just wish that Gilroy had brought something new and original to the table, especially considering how intriguing the first 2/3 of the movie were.

But all in all, it is a very good film. I'm glad it managed to carve out a bit of a fan club. It would have been a shame if this had gone buried and unseen.  

Last note - stay for the credits for probably Clooney's best acting in the film!!! It's subtle stuff, but brilliant.

OSCARS: Tilda Swinton, Best Supporting Actress

NOMINATIONS: Best Picture, Best Director (Gilroy), Best Original Score (James Newton Howard), Best Actor (Clooney), Best Supporting Actor (Wilkinson), Best Original Screenplay (Gilroy).

MVP: George Clooney just owns the screen whenever he is on camera with some good old fashioned movie star charisma. It's more than charisma, though. Anyone who says Clooney always just plays Clooney should really take a deeper look at this performance. Sure, the Clooney confidence is there, but there is no charm. Michael Clayton really does nothing but ruffle feathers for most of the film's running time. He's actually kind of a jerk - but seeing this soulless jerk rediscover his conscience is kind of the point of the movie. It's a great, layered performance, and Clooney deserved his Oscar nomination (he lost to Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood). Actually, it might actually be the best performance of his career so far...I'll have to think about that one...

TRIVIA: Both George Clooney and Michael O'Keefe, a rival lawyer at the firm, played boyfriends of Laurie Metcalf on Roseanne.

BEST LINE: Michael: "I'm not the guy you kill, I'm the guy you buy! I'm your easiest problem and you're gonna kill me??"