X
- 2007
- R
- Warner Bros.
- 1 h 59 m
- 2007
- R
- Warner Bros.
- 1 h 59 m
Summary Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is an in-house "fixer" at one of the largest corporate law firms in New York. At the behest of the firm’s co-founder Marty Bach, Clayton, a former prosecutor from a family of cops, takes care of Kenner, Bach & Ledeen’s dirtiest work. Clayton cleans up clients’ messes, handling anything from hit-and-runs ...
Directed By: Tony Gilroy
Written By: Tony Gilroy
- 2007
- R
- Warner Bros.
- 1 h 59 m
- 2007
- R
- Warner Bros.
- 1 h 59 m
Michael Clayton
8.1
Where to Watch
Summary Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is an in-house "fixer" at one of the largest corporate law firms in New York. At the behest of the firm’s co-founder Marty Bach, Clayton, a former prosecutor from a family of cops, takes care of Kenner, Bach & Ledeen’s dirtiest work. Clayton cleans up clients’ messes, handling anything from hit-and-runs ...
Directed By: Tony Gilroy
Written By: Tony Gilroy
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 36 Critic Reviews
82
100% Positive
36 Reviews
36 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 36 Critic Reviews
82
100% Positive
36 Reviews
36 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
I don't know what vast significance Michael Clayton has (it involves deadly pollution but isn't a message movie). But I know it is just about perfect as an exercise in the genre.
Like Spencer Tracy, Gene Hackman, and others who have made acting on the big screen seem so easy while taking us on a journey that is far from simple, Clooney is the real thing.
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 215 User Ratings
8.1
83% Positive
179 Ratings
179 Ratings
13% Mixed
28 Ratings
28 Ratings
4% Negative
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 215 User Ratings
8.1
83% Positive
179 Ratings
179 Ratings
13% Mixed
28 Ratings
28 Ratings
4% Negative
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
A real masterpiece, each character is tense and real, story is smart and reflects the moralities that people of certain companies face. Each proposed flaw in a character is a strength from another perspective and sometimes vice versa, the film draws you in with these delicate touches and each of the individuals stories. Perhaps Clooneys best performance
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One of the most underrated films in recent memory. The best legal drama ever made, as well as a nuanced, impeccably written and directed existential thriller.
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After Clooney, who gives a sterling performance as a tarnished figure, the standout performance belongs to Wilkinson, a geyser of manic eloquence. Also quite fine are Swinton and Sydney Pollack.
Michael Clayton is not an exercise in high-tension energy; you'll never confuse its eponymous protagonist with Jason Bourne. But it does have enough of a melodramatic pulse to keep you engaged in its story and, better than that, it is full of plausible characters who are capable of surprising -- and surpassing -- your expectations.
Gilroy's up to the challenge, as is his uniformly astounding cast--Clooney, especially, as the charmed and charming man stripped of his superpowers, but also Wilkinson and Swinton as the mirror images of each other.
Michal Clayton shares a number of affinities with Paddy Chayefsky and Sidney Lumet's "Network." Wilkinson's got the so-mad-he's-sane Peter Finch position; while Swinton embodies a sexless, neurotic, overstressed variant of Faye Dunaway's character. Which leaves Clooney as the (considerably younger) William Holden of the piece. And, yes, he makes the most of it.
Without the steadfast intelligence of Clooney's performance, Michael Clayton wouldn't work half as well as it does.
Many people have notions of what a 'fixer' may actually do, some see rubber gloves and cleaning up crime scenes, others may see smooth talking, good looking and suited up individuals who confidently go about their job as a sought after individual. But George Clooney plays a different sort of fixer, his character, Michael Clayton, is realistic in his approach to every part of his job, he isn't a miracle worker, nor does he make every problem disappear because at the end of the day, he simply cleans up the mess, but the bigger the mess, the more complex the clean-up. Clayton himself has problems of his own that he cannot sweep under the rug, while he may look the part, Clooney portrays a character who isn't everything he appears, he owes serious amounts of money to loan sharks after we discover his gambling habit, struggles with financing his life and desperately tries to repair his past mistakes but still creating new ones, all while taking on a big "mess". The law firm he works for is facing a crisis after one of its partners, Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson) has quite the mental breakdown in the midst of a massive court case which Arthur knows the company his firm is defending are guilty of their crimes, something Michael is desperately trying to amend. It's clear to see why we have the title named after our main character, it is focusing on the life a man leads who feels he has no purpose, a man who is taken for granted and then thrown to the side, something Clooney portrays through many forces and silent stares, while we also see how he tries to balance his life as a dad and a man with a job that he can't really explain to anyone, but he shares the screen with someone else who is confident in her job but masks her demons, lawyer for the big client, a client called UNorth being sued for illegal chemical dumping Karen Crowdor (Tilda Swinton), equally as cunning and potentially dangerous as Clayton. It's films like this where we look to the talent involved to realise they are the driving force of the film, the tension and chemistry they create while also taking from a sharp and smartly written piece from director and writer Tony Gilroy, who cleverly takes a sombre approach to have this business thriller being much more than it seems, there isn't realty an inspiring touch to leave you flabbergasted, but more about style and the performances, it focuses solely on the consequences of actions as we have many guilt-ridden characters with too much power on their hands. As mentioned, the performances are the standout moments of this film, Clooney proves his stability and grit while Swinton also shoes her worth as the sort of Yin to Clooney's Yang. It's a smart and complex film that stays intriguing thanks to its strong cast and compelling story.
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I really respect Tony Gilroy as a screen writer, and I could see his intelligence in the dialogue spoken. That said, most of the movie felt like random scenes and confusing developments. My wife said it well: "I don't like movies where it's confusing and unenjoyable until the last 5 minutes, and then it all makes sense". For us, Mr. Gilroy was too smart for his own good. George Clooney did a great job acting, but when the scenes he's working through are confusing, it's still not fun to watch. Seem to contain unnecessary rabbit trails. Crude dialogue about 2 prostitutes going down on a guy, and for no help to the story. The next day I listened to the the commentary featuring the Gilroy brothers, and it made me appreciate the film a lot more. Tony even mentioned he realized he was asking a lot of the audience to keep watching when things didn't necessarily seem to make sense. Post-commentary I would give it a higher score, but for first time viewers you may not love it.
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This is one of those movies that you're sure people are saying good things about but you don't know why. I watched it and could tell the plot and acting would be well received but I never really knew what I was watching. I felt like it was hard to understand why characters were doing certain things.
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Extremely boring....I could hardly stay awake enough to pay attention. Do not see this late at night or after more than one **** will soon be sound asleep.
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Awful, awful film. Here's an apropos riddle: what can put you to sleep in 30-mins and is about 10mg? "Michael Clayton", that's what, it has about 10mg of substance to it, the rest is a waste of your life. Seriously, I felt myself actually age as it plodded through its 2 hr run time. And yes, I FORCED myself to finish it so that I'd have no regret or caveat regarding this criticism. This film is easily on the Top 5 of anyone's list for films that will bore you to death. All's it is is a vanity vehicle for George, he's almost in every scene, and in close-up. He's just not all that and his acting range rivals that of Keanu Reeves in this, such a waste. Both he and his character are age 45 at the time of filming, and he's an old looking 45, most people that age these days look to be in their early 30s. As for all the positive reviews from the critics and so-called users here, just remember George is in Hollywood's Top 3 so there's nothing - including glowing reviews - that he cannot buy. I could go on and on but this film doesn't warrant any further waste of my time.
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Production Company
Samuels Media,
Castle Rock Entertainment,
Mirage Enterprises,
Section Eight
Release Date Oct 5, 2007
Duration 1 h 59 m
Rating R
Tagline The Truth Can Be Adjusted
Awards
Academy Awards, USA
• 1 Win & 7 Nominations
Golden Globes, USA
• 4 Nominations
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards
• 7 Nominations
