"Michael Clayton", starring George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Sydney Pollack, and Tilda Swinton. Written and Directed by Tony Gilroy.
****
George Clooney stars as Michael Clayton, a "fixer" for a big time law firm. If you have legal troubles, he's the guy who tells you what your best options are. As he says in the film, "I'm a janitor." He cleans up your mess. But Michael Clayton has enough problems of his own (he owes $75,000 for his failed restaurant), so what does he do when he discovers that there's much more to a class action lawsuit than meets the eye?
Here's the good and the bad for "Michael Clayton."
Good
- The acting in the film is excellent. It's never over the top, and you completely believe everything that comes out of the characters' mouths.
- The film was written by Tony Gilroy, who wrote all three of the "Bourne" movies. It was also his first time directing, and you wouldn't know it from watching the film. The film almost has the same "feel" as the "Bourne" movies (minus all of the shaky handheld shots), which I think is a good thing.
- The film moves along at a good pace. You're always getting new information to piece together, which means there aren't any dull spots.
- The dialogue was very practical, and never got too sophisticated, or too "lawyer-ie" (if that's a word). Characters spoke and reacted the way real people would, which made the film relatable.
- The film gives you a good feel for who the characters are. You know exactly who Michael Clayton is. You know exactly who Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton) is. You know their fears, and their motivations, and how far they will go to get what they want. It makes it easier to like or dislike a character when there are no misconceptions about who they are.
- The film is very realistic. The characters' actions, the dialogue, the acting, the story, everything feels as if it belongs in the real world, which is scary when you see some of the things that take place.
- The film builds tension nicely. There are moments of suspense near the end of the film that you know are coming, but they still manage to keep you on the edge of your seat.
- The film has REAL villains. The villains in "Michael Clayton" aren't serial killers, and they're not super-villains trying to take over the world. They are ordinary people who know they are doing terrible things, and you witness the extreme measures they go to to protect a company, and their jobs, of all things.
- The film is two hours, but it doesn't feel long.
Bad
- None
"Michael Clayton" is one of the best movies I've seen this year, along with "The Bourne Ultimatum" (coincidentally written by Tony Gilroy). I highly recommend you go out and see it if you haven't done so already.
