Film went off in hundred directions and never quite developed anything. Clooney just broods. I can not see the hipe in this film. What a mess.

Clooney for President.

Entertaining with no basis in fact. Companies do bad things, but they are entitled to legal defense. Should the company have taken out a full page ad in WSJ announcing thier wrongdoing? Maybe they should settle with the people that were harmed? Oh wait... that happened. A GC that hires hitmen is about as plausible as one that uses her magic wand to curse opposing counsel.

Very slow and predictable. Characters had the potential, but the plot was weak.

Joyce C., quit rating films you didn't like as zeros. No, better yet, just go away; your swamp is lonely without you. Like it or not, this film is sharply written, well-acted, and beautifully shot. Save your zeros for films that truly deserve it (and for your information, there are only a few).

grand, intelligent entertainment; with the right changes in pace all along.

This is a terrific, intelligent film.

A great film for people who are deeply moved by class action suits, lawyers droning endless legalese, and George Clooney's expressionless face. Corporate "thrillers" suck. Who wants to watch movies about this stuff? Workaholics? Save yourself the expense and just work some overtime--you'll get the same thrill and make an extra buck or two in the process.

So So. Interesting portrayal by Tilda Swinton and I loved Tom Wilkinson. The scene with the horses was contrived and empty. George Clooney was good but not Oscar good.

inaccurate on almost every legal level and completely unsuspenseful---only positive points are a unique murder and clooney bringing gray hair in vogue---he is cary grant.

The acting is good, and I could see and appreciate the attempt to make a "grown-up" movie, but all that doesn't make up for a script that takes a long time to get started, too often drags, and has too many unecessary scenes, that add nothing to the film, bogg down the story's forward momentum, and would have been better left on the editing room's floor. Also Swinton's pivitol character was seriously underwritten. In short, the performances were clearly better than the script. And no, I don't need explosions, car chases, and a lot of action to enjoy a movie.… Expand

Tony Gilroy's new conspiracy thriller is All the President's Men's kid brother, and very nearly as good. It's a no-bs, adult, smart, ingeniously stylized, masterpiece (yes, I said it, masterpiece). The film is so subtle it hurts (in a good way) and will likely alienate many in theaters because of it. This is not a hard film to understand, but it certainly takes work to appreciate. It's not about anything in particular (although ecological issues surely are raised) and it has no specific political agenda. It's more and beyond that. Michael Clayton concerns personal ethics, forcing its character's to make big moral decisions. The way the film delves into these issues is provocative, fantastically paced, brilliantly scripted, and enrapturing to see unfold.… Expand

Like a well made shoehorn... who really cares? This movie holds the attention and might sucker the easily impressed, and Tilda Swinton is amazing, but it would take a presence far more dazzling unto itself in the lead than the bland Mr. Clooney to get this thing truly airborn. And, by the way, once and for all: nothing in Canada, not the cities or the actors, pass for cities and people in the US. They'd have a hard enough time passing for things Canadian.… Expand

One of the most overrated films of the year. For the first hour it's incredibly difficult to know what's happening. And what was all that BS about Clayton's son's book and why Wilkinson's character was so enamored with it? Couldn't figure that one out. The worst part of the film were the antagonists. Have you ever seen such a bunch of humorless, boring villains before in a movie? The antagnoists are so dull that this film could be mistaken for a horror flick about a bunch of zombies! Have you ever heard of a "fixer" in a modern day law firm? More Hollywood BS! And of course, Mr. Trendy George Clooney is more than happy to lend his 'good' name to another inane plot about corporate greed and ludicrous conspiracy theories. I give it a '3' since at least the story followed a three act structure. But beyond that, the characters were totally one-dimensional for those who like their stories told without a shade of gray! Shame on all of you who gave this flick over a '5'.… Expand

I'm disappointed (but not surprised) by some of the negative reactions to this. This isn't a movie for everyone. I felt that Tony Gilroy made an EXCELLENT directing debut with this, and the main cast members (Clooney, Swinton, Wilkinson--in a role reminiscent of Peter Finch's in Network, and Pollack) all deliver excellent performances. I wouldn't be surprised to see a few Oscar noms come this movie's way. Definitely an excellent entry into the family of intelligent thrillers like All The President's Men, Parallax View, 3 Days of the Condor, Traffic, and Syriana.… Expand

Excellent movie! Keeps you thinking long after the credits roll.

An intelligent, well-written story. At first, it seems a bit confusing; however, the layers start to unravel to a powerful conclusion. Fine performances by the entire cast - one of the better movies out there right now. Well worth seeing.

Very over-rated, this film didn't entice me from the start. It had a little bit of everything which added up to nothing. I guess I've seen one too many "lawyer" movies to think this film had anything new or significant to contribute.

The directing here is both simple yet elegant in portraying the moody psychological story of corruption and big business which to my viewing pleasure brought the thriller to another level. A tight, intelligent script combined with good performances all around set Michael Clayton among the top movies of the year.

Riveting, humane and wonderfully constructed and performed. Wilkinson, Swinton, Clooney, Pollack to die for.

I'm a big Soderbergh/Clooney fan and so was looking forward to this one. While you're in the theater it's fun. But afterwards it feels like a bit of candy. The script is fundamentally ludicrous. It's based on Clayton's money troubles, lack of status as an equity partner in the firm, and on the premise that suddenly after doing this work for 10-15 years he realizes the firm may handle unsavory cases. Such a successful "fixer" such as Clayton would never be a desperate man on the verge of getting hung out to dry. He would be a full equity partner of this law firm; otherwise he could take his Rolodex and go elsewhere to the highest bidder. And, by the way, spill the beans on where the bodies are buried because his job is disposing of all the unsavory messes into which the firm gets itself. So the crux of the plot is ridiculous. However, the acting is fantastic. Tilda Swinton is marvelous as a cyborg chief corporate counsel completely divorced form humanity; Tom Wilkinson has a fun turn as a brilliant bi-polar litigator. And Clooney once again plays the cool, haunted man who realizes his best days are behind him and he has little to show for it. (A similar character as the one he played in "Out Of Sight.") Except that he holds all the cards in reality, contrary to what the script attempts to sell us. Ultimately this is an ephemeral confection of a film.… Expand

This movie is a slow burn..the characters are understated and lifelike- -not over the top, like so much Hollywood shlock. I agree with those who say it is not "revealing" or exciting in a traditional sense, but it has an inherently interesting premise, and you still want to know how it will play out, even when you are fairly sure what will play out. This is due to good acting and direction.

Excellent thriller. Worth the entrance fee to see this well-made film. Great acting by all.

This was a thoroughly engaging movie. Great ensemble cast. Acting and writing was excellent throughout. Recommended.

After the movie sorts itself out, it is incredibly intricate and brilliantly acted.

Slow paced at first but an old-school legal thriller that unfolds well through the fine script and brilliant acting of George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, Sydney Pollack and especially Tom Wilkinson. Though there is no true Hitchcock surprise ending, it belongs to his era of film-making. A great film with lots of intelligent dialogue - probably why it is not doing as well as other teenage gore films.

Great acting, great story telling. Sometimes the plot becomes slightly complicated , but it is fascinating to see how the actors maintain the tempo throughout the two hour movie.

The best movie I've seen in years.

Highly overrated. Clooney for an Oscar? please.

I Haven't seen Goerge Clooney any better.

Dull... Predictable... Disappointing... I was psyched to like this film but it turned out to be a pale imitation of the real thing. Sidney Lumet wannabe.

I watched the trailer on Youtube and I felt totally engaged and couldn't wait to watch it. But, George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, Sean Cullen, Michael O'Keefe, and Sydney Pollack took the risk of a huge downfall. A total disaster zone. This is definitely the wrong road for Tony Gilroy as a Director. Just continue writing films because you did an amazing job on The Bourne Ultimatum.… Expand

The thinking person's thriller. This is an excellent film with an intelligent, sharply honed script realized through very strong performances. Kudos all around!

Just dumb and unactive, it explains things in the best of ways that seems like they exxagerate. The situation is big, but the movie is not. The story is just the situation, and now it has a plot problem.

People who don't like this movie are idiots.

Definitely the performances were better than the script. I didn't feel the tension or the drama. Not enough development on the characters and thus I didn't care for them nor was there any character arcs.

I only give this a one because of a couple of decent scenes, one being at the very end. Otherwise, as many users said here, the most overrated film of the year. Much adieu about nothing, plot-wise. Structuring the whole movie as one long flashback--by giving away a key ending scene--blew all the suspense for what might have been a very good part of the film. Overall, this felt contrived, like the filmmakers were trying too hard to be artsy and not hard enough simply to tell a good, gripping story. Your money is better spent on other films that are out right now.… Expand

I didn't buy the premise of this movie. In real life, a lawyer off the rails like the one portrayed here would simply be replaced by his firm. The excuses for not doing this were flimsy. Furthermore, what's with this hackenyed plot? Big, bad, greedy corporation is taken down by good-hearted hero. Please! This theme has been done to death. I don't understand what the critics see in this unoriginal work.… Expand

Oscar worthy. Not for the younger crowd.

Great character, and plot development. The ending was somewhat of letdown; somewhat predictable and very fast. Other than that it was a great film. Very intense and kept my attention throughout. Stuart, only a right wing moron would see this movie the way you did. It has NOTHING to do with politics, and EVERYTHING to do with inside corruption.

On the whole this was an enjoyable movie. Not as earth shatteringly good as some people seem to say it was, but still a good movie. As some of the other comments make clear, you won't like it if you're a corporate tool who has been brainwashed to believe that corporate greed is good and that any critiques of capitalism are solely a product of some radical left wing cabal.

This movie spent a lot of time showing us how flawed and difficult Michael Clayton's life is, he gambles, he's divorced, his restaurant is being sold off, his father is hooked up to oxygen his brother is an alcoholic loser and he's in debt to who? Mobsters? And he has till Friday to pay them off? If he doesn't then what?. So What!! I suppose to serve as a contrast to his great abilities as "fixer". But the one scene where the best "fixer" in the business shows his stuff is at the very beginning when he is called upon to help a client with a sticky hit and run problem. What does he offer this desperate man as a solution? The name of a good trial attorney! The client was understandably unimpressed, so was I. The rest of the movie he's nothing more then a glorified baby-sitter and he screws that up pretty badly. The scene in the field with the horses falls flat simply because Clooney is incapable of letting himself go emotionally. As a result it comes off as an awkward contrivance created simply to get the character out of the car. As a hero Michael Clayton is unimpressive and unimposing. As a villain, Karen Crowder is laughable. This underwritten nebbish of a character is all that stands in Michael's way? Give me a break. The climactic confrontation at the end is a joke. I felt sorry for Crowder and thought Clayton looked more like a classroom bully who gets his kicks picking on little girls then an avenging hero standing up for truth and justice. Totally unimpressive.… Expand

Kickass ending. I like Clooney now. He's pretty good for a big actor. I like the crazy guy too. And the horses were pretty.

Way too slow.took too long to develop.

Nothing special here. This story should have been a hour crime solving TV show. Overhyped, I was disappointed.

I must say, I was impressed by this movie and by the way this film was shot. This film attacked a very disturbing subject and brought it to the forefront very well. True, the topic it did attack is that to which so many people believe is not entirely entertaining, but it does have a time and place for its thought provoking nature. Contrary to so many of the reviews I have read about this movie, reviews about how the world doesn't work this way or how things don't just happen like this, I want you to take a step back for a moment and look at things from the films point of view. I am not saying it does happen this way, but I wouldn't be entirely surprised if I were you and you actually got a chance to walk the paths that some actually do every day.… Expand

Extremely well-acted but too slowly paced, it treads familiar ground; there is nothing new here. The three horses on the hill scene is pretentious and obvious, and the extended close-up of Clooney in the taxi at the end has "I'm the star" written all over it.

Horrible. Watched it with 5 intelligent, educated professionals, and 1 hour in to it, when it was obvious everyone wanted to quit watching it we still couldn't tell you what the movie was about. Possibly the most boring film I've ever tried to endure. I truly can't believe the acclaim this steaming pile of boredom received...it completely baffles me. God, it was so bad.

Just a solid legal thriller with great performances. Only the dull and the lazy will have trouble grasping this plot; anyone else will be sucked right in.

I've had to force myself to watch this film on more than on occasion and I have to say that I still haven't quite caught on to the unnecessarily complicated plot.The performance of the actors, I have to say was quite convincing...But it still was enough for me to enjoy the film.It is baffling to see the acclaim this movie got-I doubt most of the reviewers understood this movie 100%.

Kevin C is right, the first hour of the movie is completly and utterly confusing, (just like the movie 7 Pounds with Will Smith) In the theatre people were squirming in their seats looking at other people like" do you get this" In the end and after watching it again, I get it, and the ending is good, but holy crap it takes a while to get there. The acting is great. There's just one scence I still don't understand even after multiple watchings. In the book the Cloony's son is reading, there is a drawing of some tree's and some horses, and then later when George is driving in the country he see's what I believe to be a snapshot of the book drawing, with the horses and some tree's up on a hill. It's the scene where is car explodes. I just don't understand the connection, was reading the book the thing that saved him from getting blown up, what are the odd's that he would see these things right around when his car blew up. They don't make it clear enough the connection and I still don't understand it, can someone explain this. they should of had a disclosure on both of these movie's saying "you won't have a clue what is going on for the first hour, but then you'll get it".… Expand

Overall a good movie with a good ending but at times can be slow.

"Its such a perfect ending". Yeah if you like cliche endings to law firm movies. The first half was spectacular, the second lost steam (why make something intense if you already told the outcome in the beginning?) and the ending ruined the movie by making it something smaller than what it could of been. Tom Wilkinson gave a stellar performance, which deserves an oscar nomination at the very least. The rest of the cast, not so much. Clooney feels better at playing at playing the part he always has by adding a little more depth to that character. He is George Clooney playing Michael Clayton, he isn't Michael Clayton. Tilda Swinton gave a slightly better performance, but was not given enough screen time to display a lot of her talent. Sydney Pollack was just used for just saying things that were relevant, only used as a plot device. The script, had great dialogue, however, I think the story and the arc could have been executed a lot better. Perhaps a not so predictable ending? The script was shaky to say the least. The score and was absolutely fantastic and so was the editing. To conclude, it had such potential to be great, but failed to execute in the last half.… Expand

Honest, satisfying, never panders down to the audience. Adult.

The characters are complex, interesting, human, and very well acted. Clooney did an excellent job of showing many sides of his character without ever going over the top, and Tilda Swinton was absolutely captivating in every scene she was in. Highly recommended.

Inspiring. Not a single wasted frame or word. You'll find poetry hidden throughout. I think it's my favorite movie of the year.

George Clooney is amazing in this stunningly lifelike legal drama. "Michael Clayton" is a psychological thriller, a movie that says more than it shows.

would like to see more directorial work from Mr. Gilroy. This was a challenging but ultimately rewarding film.

Superbly acted. Engaging story. Nuff said.

This movie succeeded at keeping you in the dark, although I think it carried this out for too long and this compromised the characters and the talents of the actors. These characters just filled the roles necessary to have in the formulaic corporate crime drama that this film is. I didn't hear intelligent dialogue at all, did you? Wilkinson's character was not allowed to do much more than rant and that is a shame because he is good. The best thing about the film was that all the characters were very morally ambiguous, (at least for a while) thus it was suspenseful. But i was only involved in the story to the extent that I wanted to see what was going to happen. Clayton should have bribed her and taken the money. Then the moral would have been that this isn't a just world we live in, which is true.… Expand

I know it's supposed to be this great movie, but I was pretty bored. Good performances, not much of a story.

wow...one of the best movies i have seen in the past couple years. Great story, performances, direction and screenplay...

What a great movie. Or should I say: What? A great movie?? If Wilkinson doesn't get an Oscar for support, I'll eat my shoe. All of it. And I walk through nasty stuff. Scenes between him and Clooney are high-end. The words are fantastic. Informed but not sermonic, huge but not bombastic (save where bombast is called for). Come to think of it, Clooney getting an Oscar would not be uncalled for, though that will probably go to Tommy Lee Jones. Tilda Swinton continues to show up in movies I like (SEE: Thumbsucker, Broken Flowers).… Expand

Powerful, well-acted.

Took a while to make sense , but ultimately a interesting story that was well done. Gee, a movie with a exploding car that was actually a part of the story line and not just eye candy! Bill C.

Overrated. Completely unfocused with no direction.

A very strong plot with great performances by George Clooney and the rest of the cast.

This might be the most overrated movie in years. It was slow, attempted to be too dramatic, and down right boring.

Not really a deep or profound film, but very entertaining. Tilda Swinton might be the best actress right now in the entire film industry. She is fantastic in almost everything she does.

8.5 Exceptional! Michael Clayton is one of the best movies I've seen all year, including the over-looked Zodiac. It is definitely George Clooney's best movie hands down. A movie that doesn't make you feel cheated at the end...now that is rare. Tom Wilkenson may just get an Oscar.

Overrated, George Clooney didn't really impress me, good acting but wasn't able to capture the drama to my opinion.. the end not that good either.

I loved this movie. It felt like manna from Hollywood, a smart somber fascinating thriller. I cared about it, perhaps because it seemed to be about America right now, exhausted with moral compromises and adrift. It was not the usual sentimental backwash. ALL the acting was terrific.

A solid, gripping genre piece -- not perfect, but very good, with a superb, low-key performance by Clooney at its center that gives it heft it might not otherwise have had.

Good movie. Needs more action.

Are we so dumbed out watching product that we can't appreciate such an intelligent, gripping, moral tale. It gets a nine because what piece of entertainment is flawless? Clooney clearly has the taste for meaty roles, and he is excellent together with Wilkinson who is brilliant and Swinton who soars. It sizzles with the tightest of scripts, smart layer of stories that keep you engrossed every scene to the perfect end. In the time of Enron, Iraq, a debate over torture, and tainted meat this country is loosing it's moral ground this film is a mirror for our time. It deserves a 10!… Expand

It's really just a run-of-the-mill thriller, but the performances are fantastic, particularly Tom Wilkinson. (Note to Jared C.--*possible mild spoiler alert* at what point in the movie is Wilkinson a bad guy?)

This movie is incredibly good. I had no idea what they were trying to sell this movie as, so I was a little unsure going in (i.e. I didn't have huge expectations, but wasn't expecting crap either). After the first 20 minutes you're left with a starting point, but mostly in the dark and hoping to god they (writer/director) pay it off in the end. And man, do they ever. It was such a perfect ending. This is definitely something akin to say, The Firm, or even Syriana in a way though it's definitely not a "message-movie" nor is it the Bourne Ultimatium---However, it's a very intelligent, wonderfully written, directed and acted film. George Clooney gives a great performance. So far, I think Michael Clayton and 3:10 to Yuma are the best films I've seen this year. Go see this film.… Expand

Starts slow, but by the end is really captivating. Very suspenseful in the best possible way. Each half-hour of this 2-hour movie improves over the one that came before. I highly recommend this to fans of subtle characterizations, great acting, and intelligent writing and directing.

I agree that this is a thriller. The ending was not a let-down, and I felt that this is a sure pick for a Best Picture nomination. To me, it doesn't feel like a Best Picture winner, but a sure nominee.

Oh my god, definitely one of the top 3 this year. No one is better than Clooney when he is at his best. If you don't like this movie it's probably because your too dumb to understand it.

Talking heads. Far too much dialogue. To the filmmakers: learn to use your medium. Less is more. Show, don't tell. A picture is worth a thousand words. And PLEASE don't have one character read the CV of another character aloud! Take a screenwriting course to learn how to avoid this. (How do millions get spent on a fundamentally bad movie...? And these critics--are they paid off by the studio or something?)… Expand

Sydney Pollack did a good job as the head lawyer. No one in the packed theater dared move at the end until we saw all of the credits. Nice trick. I didn't get the horses.

Good but nothing new or original and definitely not an Oscar contender for movie or performance by George Clooney. If anyone should have been considered it would be Tom Wilkinson as Arthur.

I have enjoyed this movie the most among the nominees of this year.

All movies of this sort delight in loose ends, so I'll not dwell on those. Instead, something about the movie's paradoxes. A self-consciously slick Hollywood product that adopts all of the fetishizing gimmicks of the advertising used by the story's evil company? A paean to seeing the world clearly, to taking a fearless moral stand, that treats humans like cartoons and suggests an equation between ethical status and real estate values? And yet again Tilda Swinton wins praise for impersonating a robot—a mystery to me.… Expand

Satisfying modern day noir; tightly composed script weaves complex personal stories together to build a tense layered thriller. Understated and darkly realistic acting by Clooney, Wilkinson, Tida Swinton score high praise. Worth re-viewing to fully enjoy how the script pulls all those loose ends together with such elegance.

Intricate, subtle, tense--well-served by the score--not a single wrong note in the acting, the theme wonderfully summarized in the confrontation between Wilkinson's and Clooney's characters (o.k., maybe the loaves were a bit too much). Every single relationship between characters -- such as the brothers -- well defined without bombast...cinematography both clever and serving to advance the story, with some truly wonderful shots. A complete package without a wrong note. My husband and I loved it.… Expand

The Western elite are flawed and morally bankrupt, I get it. ...Impeccably shot though.

Stellar acting, an intelligent script and innovative direction distinguish this otherwise routine political thriller. Clooney and Gilroy are self-proclaimed devotees of 70s cinema - both the subject matter and the distorted framings and innovative juxtapositions are straight out of films like Network, Parallax View or Klute. One feels however that Clooney, good as he is, is straining a bit too hard to be heroic, or maybe the script is too reliant on grandstanding speeches. Still, Wilkinson and Swinton are good, too, as is Sydney Pollack. The opening of the film is a blistering start and propels us into the film. It is a cracking thriller, but perhaps a little pleased with itself at times, as in the final shot of Clooney in the taxi, which seems superfluous. It would be a better ploy to just watch him enter the taxi say drive and then film the taxi drive off in to the distance. There's one subtle 70s ploy the filmmakers missed.… Expand

An intelligent, earthy, fiery and fluid drama - all the elements were there, all the cliches challenged, the world evoked believable, the characters intriguing, and beguiling. The three horses on the hill evoked a moral clarity beyond spoken words. Ultimately emotionally and intellectually satisfying, it cleverly questions how we can go on any other path than the truth. A wonderful companion to 'The Constant Garden'… Expand

Hopefully people call this intellectual only because they had plenty of time while the movie was droning on to think about more interesting topics or daydream. The choices the characters have to make are ridiculous and seem contrived to serve the weakly themed plot. Acting and direction were good, could have used an editing floor renovation.

I really wanted to enjoy this movie but found it a little irritating... I know it is directed at a certain audience, and I also like to think I am in that audience but this movie just meandered along... George Clooney nearly looked like he didn't know what was going on as well !

Well acted. but who cares? This movie was a bore! I made myself watch the whole movie, waiting for clever twist. But it never came.

What matters to me in a film is the atmosphere, the tone, and how the characters and plot heighten or develop that tone. This film is simple. It is simply good. I love the tone of this film, the corporation lurking always in the background and the sense of dread. Simply put, one of the best films of the past 5 years.

Allow me to recommend two things for all who were bored by "michael clayton:" Ritalin and membership in the Michael Bay Fan Club.

I love this film. I don't understand how folks have such trouble with gilroy's plots. they aren't that byzantine. just watch some hitchcock for the 50's and 60's. duplicity is a bit too clever, but MC is very simple legal case stuff. i mean, it's no more complex than an episode of boston legal. hey, mark t: don't bust on michael bay. it takes a great deal of talent to make the rock and armageddon, and do not forget that tony gilroy helped write armageddon. to each his talent.… Expand

The year 2007 produced so several of instant classics in my book, and Michael Clayton is definitly one of them. This movie was, for the most part, a character piece, and George Clooney, along with the superb support from Tom Wilkinson and Tilda Swinton, most certainly delivered is best performance yet.

I was expecting so much more from this film than it delivered., due to the many great reviews it received. I enjoyed Clooneys' performance. This film was O.K, but over hyped and over rated.