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| Michael Clayton | 
| Category: Movie
This item is no longer available
Avg. Customer Rating:  209 reviews
Sales Rank: 673
Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: Video On Demand
Running Time: 120 minutes
ASIN: B0014B8KSI
Theatrical Release Date: October 12, 2007
Release Date: August 29, 2008
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| Customer Reviews:
 Silencing Another 'Silent Spring' October 17, 2007
23 out of 30 found this review helpful
Going into `Michael Clayton' I had the distinct impression I was watching another movie with the scope of `Syriana;' another fine movie that would leave me mentally exhausted once again. Thankfully, George Clooney and Steven Soderberg have teamed up again to co-produce a "green" movie with a solid theme. But this time, as I was writing notes for this movie, I noticed that while several characters were being introduced--enough to make my head spin--all my labor was for naught. For the exposition, although ample, enriched the movie. The story settles in quickly, and the plot isn't hard to follow.
We begin with the titled protagonist (Clooney), known as "The Janitor," a founding member of the law firm Nenner, Bach, and Ledeer. Despite his prowess, he is the fix-it guy, the one who fixes messes with a cool hand where it's needed most. It's a thankless job, but he's most suited to do it. His supervisor, Marty Boch (Sydney Pollack), heaps him with accolades, but not enough cash to keep Michael afloat. Partly implied are Michael's debts, including from gambling and from a restaurant venture that has folded and is up for auction.
Getting a handle on things, Michael is up late at night briefing an important client who had a hit-and-run car accident. In the midst of this, his late night is protracted by some late night gambling that shows he has the upper hand on his unprofitable addiction. As he leaves we get the impression someone is following him. Stopping by the side of a rural road, he comes up to calm some horses until startlingly his parked car explodes.
Sporting a thoughtful time frame, the movie backs up four days and shows us some significant developments. Instead of just being a clever time device, it adds to the suspense of the movie. It reminded me of a laudable update of something Hitchcock would do. Backing up we come upon the predictament of Arthur (Tom Wilkinson), a savvy, but unstable lawyer, who is unraveling and leaving Michael almost impotent to remedy his plight. Off of medication, Arthur is leaving paranoid phone messages and stripping himself naked in public places. He believes he's had a revelation. (The contacts he makes with a plaintiff in Wisconsin anchor the movie's plot and poignancy.) Spending nearly all of his waking hours, he is defending U-North, an agricultural company accused of spreading carcinogenic pesticides by ill plaintiffs. Tracked by a tough representative, Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton) is not impressed by "The Janitor's" alleged mopping skills, and, indeed, there's plenty of evidence in her favor, noting Arthur's AWOL tactics that come back to hit the firm in the face.
`Michael Clayton' contains few flaws. It has perhaps Clooney's best performance since `Syriana' and Swinton's marvelous rendition of a cool and calculated villain, reminded me of how skillful an actress she truly is. (Remembering her wonderful, less subtle role as "The White Witch" in `The Chronicles of Narnia,' and having enjoyed her nuanced performance in `Stephanie Daley,' this was another plum performance for her.) And Wilkinson is thoroughly believable as Arthur. Without getting too complicated, the details just add more depth to a movie that is captivating and suspenseful from beginning to end. `Michael Clayton' truly has to be one of the finest films so far this year.
A memorable examination of "the dark night of the soul" October 17, 2007
Those who wish to obtain a detailed plot summary are advised to search elsewhere. My purpose now is to explain why I enjoyed this film so much. There are several reasons. Here are three. First, There is a multi-dimensional texture of ambiguity to the plot development because, until the film's conclusion, there are so many unanswered questions about, for example, relationships between and among the major characters. That is why most of the action occurs at night. Indeed, it can be argued that, as written and then directed by Tony Gilroy, the darker components of human nature (i.e. greed, ambition, mendacity, betrayal) comprise the primary subject of the film. With the obvious exceptions of Michael Clayton (George Clooney) and Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson), there is an almost total lack of nobility in the behavior of the main characters.
Also, I liked the pace of the plot. Separately and together, both Clayton and Edens seem to be wandering through a minefield. They are desperate to survive what become for Edens, eventually, life-threatening perils and for Clayton, throughout the film, what continue to be serious financial problems. Gilroy does not allow the plot to drag, nor does he rush through the sequence of events. He allows the story (on several separate but connected levels) to unfold over a four-day period.
Finally, I greatly admire Clooney's performance as Clayton, a "fixer" for a major law firm who seems unable to fix any of the broken parts in his personal life. He is still recovering emotionally from a failed marriage, has strained relations with his family (especially with two brothers), struggles with mixed results to be a good father to a son he obviously adores, and - meanwhile - is about to lose ownership of a restaurant that was to have enabled him to leave the law firm. Clooney brilliantly captures Clayton's tenderness and desperation as well as his sharply honed problem-solving skills. When we first encounter him, Clayton is what Graham Greene would characterize as a "burnt out case." By the end of the film, he has survived (but barely) and stares blankly at nothing, drifting somewhere between emptiness and despair.
Of all the films I have seen during the past year, this one and The Departed are among the few that I continue to think about each day and that I am eager to see again. That may be all that they share in common...but it is sufficient for me.
 A Miracle Worker---no, I'm a janitor October 16, 2007
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
He just cleans up the messes other people leave behind. That's what Michael Clayton (Clooney) tells a client of his firm who's just committed hit-and-run in the middle of the night. He finds the man a criminal attorney and drives off into the night--only to stop briefly by the side of the road to see some horses and get his car blown up.
Next, we flash back to 4 days later. Michael's called to Milwaukee where one of the best litigators in the firm Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson) has gone off his bipolar medication and had a meltdown during plaintiff depositions to the point of running around naked in the snow. Edens is the lead attorney for their firm in defending UNorth, a huge chemical conglomerate that has spent 6 years and 50 million dollars in legal fees in defense of farmer's claims that their pesticide is toxic. It's up to Michael to clean up the mess--hopefully get Arthur back on his meds and functioning so the case can proceed.
From there, the film takes us back forward over the next five days--to the car bombing--and beyond to the end.
Time changes in any kind of media are always difficult. For my companion and I, knowing the car bombing had taken place already and that Michael survived took a lot of suspense out of the film. Also, Clooney and Wilkinson are who give the film momentum. The challenge Michael faces in getting help for a man who knows the New York State law about involuntary commitment is compelling--particularly when you realize that Michael really wants to help Eden. Clooney's portrayal of Michael Clayton is very thorough and convincing--I believe both he and Tom Wilkinson have earned nominations for their roles in this film.
Unfortunately, the overall film just didn't seem to merit the rave reviews that I have read. This is one of the few times Rotten Tomatoes and I disagree substantially--if I were awarding numbers, "Michael Clayton" would be a 75.
Clooney's "Michael" is stamped with Oscar Gold October 16, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
As we exited the theater, my friend said, "George was good, but I don't think he will win an Academy Award for that role". When I asked why she stated, "Because the role is very similar to the character he played in "Syriana". She has a point, but my argument is that in "Syriana", his character was one of many. In "Michael Clayton", he is the center of the film and it is very much the leading performance. The role and the film have Oscar stamped all over them.
Michael Clayton (Clooney) is THE troubleshooter at a large law firm in New York. He facilitates everything the firm's clients need, to make sure they remain happy customers, willing to pay huge retainers. But he doesn't practice law anymore and this is beginning to wear him down. When the bar he has invested his life savings in closes and he still owes the backers $75,000, he realizes he shouldn't have placed so much confidence in his younger brother, the manager of the establishment. As he deals with his financial problems, Arthur (Tom Wilkinson), the lead attorney on the firm's biggest case, representing a chemical company called U-North, goes a little crazy. Michael is called in to bail Arthur out and to placate the clients. But Arthur insists the case is faulty and U-North is really guilty. And he won't shut up about it. When the lead counsel for the large company, Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton) gets wind of this, she realizes her position and the company's impending settlement may be in jeopardy, so she decides to take action. As Michael gets more involved with Arthur's problems and the U-North case, his boss (Sydney Pollack) has to deal with a merger to a British law firm. Everything each of these people is doing or working on is part of an elaborate dominoes puzzle; if one piece falls, every other piece will follow. And everyone will do everything in their power to make sure a single piece doesn't cause a chain reaction.
Tony Gilroy, the writer of the "Bourne" films, makes his directorial debut with "Michael Clayton". The film has a lot of story threads enmeshed throughout the film; it takes a while to get these going, but once Gilroy does, we realize the wait has been worth it. Because he takes such great pains to set-up each of these story threads, making each believable and interesting, when we realize they are all part of the larger story, it makes the final film very engrossing and even a little thrilling.
"Clayton" is the type of film that shows extraneous bits of each character's lives. Initially, as we watch these moments play out, they help to provide interesting details about the character's lives, but they don't really seem to have a lot of connection to the story. Then, as the story progresses, these moments become related, in a superfluous way, helping to make us more interested in the characters. For instance, we first see Michael Clayton at an auction. We quickly get the idea they are selling off the various supplies in the restaurant, trying to make money, to repay the debt for the now closed restaurant and bar. We soon learn Michael was the main backer for the restaurant and its closure has left him deeply in debt. We also learn his brother was the manager behind the failed enterprise. All of these various elements help to color every action Michael makes through the remainder of the film. I really enjoy this type of exposition, because it makes the characters seem richer and more interesting. When I see this type of thing happening, successfully, it also raises my hopes for the film in general.
It is also refreshing to watch Gilroy's work as a director. Much like his writing, he is clearly going for something different. In the "Bourne" films, the writer gave us a lot of detail about the characters while orchestrating Bourne's fight for the truth about who he actually is. Interestingly, the films share only the most basic premise with the books. In "Clayton', the writer and director achieves the same effect in a more subdued film. Michael is in danger throughout the film, but he isn't a spy with amnesia, he is a lawyer, living in New York, dealing with a lot of problems. They are very different characters but created in a similar fashion.
As Gilroy introduces the various threads of the story, he makes us wait until he is ready to show us how they all fit together. This may be maddening for some, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Real life doesn't lay out all the details in a set fashion. Real life is messy and "Clayton"'s story reflects this.
All of the performances throughout the film are outstanding.
Clooney's character is similar to the role he played in "Syriana" in that both men are reluctant heroes who are out to discover the truth. But in "Syriana", Clooney's role was one of many characters with similar goals. It is a good performance, worthy of the attention it received, but it is a Supporting Performance. Because Michael Clayton is at the center of the new film, Clooney has more screen time, allowing him to develop the character more fully. We can see Michael's frustration with his current position in society because he has a lot to be frustrated about; broke, deceived by a family member and unhappy with his job; he is desperate to make a change. His job allows that, because he is a Fixer, someone who makes things happen. Having done this job for so long, he has contacts and his character is slightly tarnished. He isn't above doing something slightly illegal if he believes he won't be caught.
So when he starts to deal with the problem named Arthur, he seems slightly surprised to find himself investigating the same leads his friend did. Why is he trying to prove U-North is guilty? They are the firm's biggest clients. If they lose money, the firm loses a big client, a client it would be difficult to replace with the history of this loss following them. He has brief moments when he realizes what he is doing and they shock him, he isn't normally this person. Where did this person come from?
But he soon realizes this large company made many, many people sick and they shouldn't get away with it. That is what spurs him into action. Arthur was right.
Tom Wilkinson does a great job with the role of Arthur. This is the type of role that could so easily become a hammy showcase for an actor's bravura skill, but Wilkinson makes the character believable by making him more restrained, giving him moments of clarity, allowing him to think ahead of all of the other people in the story.
We first see Arthur in a Minneapolis jail. U-North is based in this city and Arthur snapped during the deposition, ripping his clothes off, while the video camera is rolling. Naturally, as lead counsel, U-North is very nervous about their case, which is why Michael is sent in, to smooth things over. Initially, Arthur just appears crazy, as though someone who has spent 10% of his or her life defending someone who is guilty, really guilty, would feel. But as Arthur talks, and he talks a lot, some of the things he says start to click in Michael's thoughts.
Throughout, we see glimpses of the lawyer Arthur used to be. Arthur tells the people at U-North he has a document that will all but win the case for the plaintiffs. He goes so far as to read it on the phone, when he realizes he is being bugged. These moments, juxtaposed with the "crazy" moments- after being out of touch for a while, Michael spots Arthur walking back to his loft carrying a bag filled with over a dozen fresh baked baguettes, helping Wilkinson create a character who is almost mesmerizing to watch. We rarely see someone like this in a film and Wilkinson's performance makes the character all the more unusual and interesting.
Tilda Swinton's Karen Crowder, Chief Counsel for U-North, is the villain of the story. Even though all of the characters have definite shades of gray, she is the force behind all of the bad things happening throughout the story. Much like Wilkinson's character, she brings different layers to the role, making her more than simply a villain. If she were just the villain, she would be fun to watch, but because she has these extra elements to her character, she is even a little sympathetic.
Karen is the Chief Counsel for this large company. She has nothing else, no husband, no children; every waking moment is about protecting this company that has given her the keys to the kingdom. Her boss, played by Ken Howard, has trusted her with this position, a powerful role in a large company generating billions every year, and she must do her best to reward his trust. As a woman, she feels she has to show everyone she is in contact with how powerful she is and prove it on a constant basis. The company used to be run by men, so she has to blend in. She likes the power and wants to maintain it, so she goes to great lengths to paint a portrait of power and determination.
All of this is great, and helps to make Karen a forceful personality in the film. But as we get more and more glimpses of this character, we realize she is very unsure, very afraid of losing her job, her power, and her image. Early on, we see this woman, this definition of successful businessperson, in her hotel room airing out her extremely sweaty armpits, trying to dry them out before a big presentation. This woman in nervous. Why is she so nervous? Is she nervous about her abilities? There are other moments revealing the vulnerabilities of this character, showing us this woman who is so determined to appear powerful is really very scared. As we learn more about both sides of this character, we see she is at conflict with her self and she becomes even more interesting.
Sydney Pollack, who also serves as one of the film's producers, plays Michael's boss. It is the least interesting of the four roles, but it serves it's purpose. His character is the head of an extremely large law firm, working a very large case, who must juggle many different responsibilities, keeping all of the balls moving.
"Michael Clayton" is part espionage thriller, part human drama, part "Erin Brockovich". But it works on all three counts. There is a particularly memorable scene in which one of the threats to the case is dispatched in an efficient manner unlike anything I have ever seen in a film. Each of the characters has strains on their life outside of the job, adding to their development, making them seem more human, more vulnerable. And the case at the center of the film, while fictionalized, is no doubt based on an actual incident, giving Michael Clayton many of the same aspects as Julia Robert's Oscar winning character.
"Michael Clayton" is a very good film, on all counts.
Smart, intense film...and Clooney's best performance. October 15, 2007
In the past, George Clooney has been, to me, more of a charming movie-star than a real "actor." His best performances were when he turned on the charm and the smile, such as in OUT OF SIGHT, OCEANS 11 or O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? He excels at being a likeable cad. In more "serious" roles, such as in THREE KINGS, he was helped by the sheer energy and excellence of the film itself. To me, his Oscar win in SYRIANA was more of a nod to his political stances and to his willingness to endure weight-gain and brutal back pain. But finally, in MICHAEL CLAYTON, he delivers a true dramatic performance, with depth of character and a willingness to put aside his natural charm WITHOUT having to gain weight or grow a beard. He's the George Clooney we all recognize...but he's weighed down be guilt, lack of sleep and just a general sense of world-weariness. He's feeling Weltschmertz!! His clothes are all shades of gray, his hair and even his eyes (and the bags under them). There is no color in this man's life. So Clooney's costumer has designed this external look for him...but Clooney manages to internalize it as well.
He plays a "fixer" for a HUGE law firm. He gets clients out of legal jams, and operates on the fringes of the firm. He's almost like their in-house private eye with a law degree. He doesn't really get to practice law...he just has lots and lots of important contacts. In the movie, he has been assigned to escort an attorney from the firm back to safety after said attorney (played by the always interesting and hugely underrated Tom Wilkinson) goes a little crazy during a deposition. Essentially, Wilkinson has succumbed to guilt over his role in a years-long defense of a chemical company that has probably poisoned hundreds of people with one of its products. Unfortunately, his realization has also made him careless and manic (he's off his meds)...and thus he has become VERY dangerous to the case.
Sydney Pollack plays a senior partner in the firm and Tilda Swinton plays the head in-house council for the big conglomerate. Both of them maneuver and politic like old pros (none more smoothly and effectively than the perfectly cast Pollack)...and Swinton just may find she is in over her head...and may have to resort to measures that aren't exactly legal to protect her company. Clooney is sucked in to all this mess. At first, he doesn't care too much about the case (he's got some serious financial problems weighing him down)...but as things progress, he begins to see how he's being manipulated, and how the case itself has been manipulated.
The trailers for the film don't make it look very action-packed...but all I can say is that it is LESS action-packed than that. This is a talky film. Lots of intense, sweaty, fraught conversations. But it is well-written and directed by Tony Gilroy, who makes the verbal gymnastics and subtle plot turns quite riveting. I believe that anyone aged about 21 or under would be bored silly by the film...it REQUIRES careful attention...but it also rewards that careful attention. It is a film that deals in grays, not in black and white. (Even though we know pretty easily who the bad guys are...that isn't the point...it's the journey of Michael Clayton that is gray.) You dare not even take a bathroom break watching this film...each little scene advances either the plot or the characters in critical ways.
I must also say that mid-way through the film, a murder is committed that is about as creepy and bluntly realistic as any murder in a thriller could be. It is the opposite of showy...it's quick, grimy, heartless and believable. It was a scene that sucked the breath out of the audience.
On the other hand, the only serious flaw in the film was an ending that was a bit to pat and "Hollywood-ish." The final few minutes are richly satisfying on a gut level...but when you step back just a bit, they really don't ring entirely true.
But that is a minor flaw. I give the film 4.5 stars, and will round up to 5. And this is from a guy who REALLY dislikes the "real-life" George Clooney and his simple-minded politics. But I've got to give him his due here...it's a very good performance. (Stick around for the long closing credits sequence. Clooney actually does his best work in what must have been an extremely tricky bit...and is completely silent.)
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