:
Don J. Hewitt,
Gene Harrison,
Norman Douglass,
more...
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Tony Gilroy,
Tony Gilroy
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: Warner Home Video
: Drama, Suspense/Thriller, Courtroom, Crime, Courtroom, Dysfunctional Families
: 120 min.
: English, Spanish, French
: English, Spanish, French
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Michael Clayton (George Clooney) handles all of the dirty work for a major New York law firm, arranging top-flight legal services and skirting through loopholes for ethically questionable clients. But when a fellow "fixer" decides to turn on the very firm they were hired to clean up for, Clayton finds himself at the center of a conspiratorial maelstrom. Once an ambitious D.A., Clayton is now a shell of his former dynamic self, thanks to a divorce, an unfortunate business venture, and astronomical debt. Though he longs to leave the cutthroat, ethically dubious world of corporate law behind, Clayton's poor financial situation and devotion to firm head Marty Bach (Sydney Pollack) leave him little choice but to remain on the job and tough it out. Meanwhile, litigator Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton) finds her entire company's future hinging on the outcome of a multi-billion-dollar settlement overseen by Clayton's friend, star lawyer Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson). When Edens snaps and decides to blow the whistle on the questionable case, sabotaging the defense, Clayton must decide between his loyalty and his conscience. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
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| Nice work
by MKaliher
February 26, 2008 - 3:20 PM PST
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3 out of 4 members found this review helpful
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| Prior to this film, I hadn't seen a memorable George Clooney performance since O Brother, Where Art Thou?, in which he did a passable job. But Sydney Pollack's Michael Clayton, it seems, has given Clooney a place to really stretch out and demonstrate his acting chops. His work in this film is outstanding and nuanced at the same time. It's nice to see a film actor come into his own--and in such a well-done picture, one which may help redeem Hollywood from at least some of the garbage it habitually sends to Europe. The story revolves around a multinational corporation headquartered in America which stands to lose some three billion dollars in a lawsuit over its handling of our food supply. When one of the corporation's lackeys has a nervous breakdown, he is transformed like Saul on the road to Damascus, and prepares to go to work for the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. The corporation, of course, doesn't appreciate that much, and assigns Michael Clayton--their "fixer"--the task of reigning in the renegade lawyer. How Clayton executes his assignment forms the story, yet the character is fleshed out well, in subtle ways, through a good script and excellent direction. Casting is also terrific. This is certainly one of the best American films I've seen in some time. Violence is minimal; crime, however insidious, is of the necktie variety. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Michael Clayton to anyone in Europe. It does require some patience on the part of the viewer, as it takes some time for the story to manifest itself. But when it does, hang on for the ride. Realm and Conquest. |
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GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 7.33)
60 Votes
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