Michael Clayton (2007)

Michael Clayton (2007) Movie Review

The film's tagline says it all: "The Truth Can Be Adjusted". Michael Clayton is an elegantly structured legal thriller which pays off with its rapidly escalating climax. Lack of action and heavy dialogs makes this film a thinking man's thriller. Because of its rich characterizations and an absorbing plot, you will be tempted to view certain scenes in the DVD over and over again to see what you had missed in earlier viewings. I wasn't impressed by George Clooney / Steven Soderbergh previous collaborations, but this one is simply exceptional.

Storyline:

George Clooney plays a lawyer Michael Clayton who, after working 15 years as a in-house fixer for a major New York law firm, is burned out. He hates the dirty work - cleaning up other people's messes. He hates his demanding and unappreciative clients. As he says: "I'm not a miracle worker, I'm a janitor." He wants out but can't as he is deep in debt due to a failed business venture with his alcoholic younger brother. To top it off, he has a failed marriage, a young son who he hardly has time for because of his 24 hour job and a sick father.

Tilda Swinton is perfect as an obsessive compulsive corporate big shot who is willing to break the law in order to protect her company from losing a multi-million dollar class action law suit. The agro-chemical corporation she is working for is accused of causing the deaths of dozens of people with their carcinogenic weed killer. One of the highlights of the film is the enactment of a hands-on cold blooded corporate style execution in which not one drop of blood was spilled.

Cast Performance:

The understated performances of the lead cast adds realism to this taut drama. Tilda Swinton won an Oscar as Best Supporting Actress. Actors George Clooney and Tom Wilkinson were nominated for the Oscars.

Production Values:

Michael Clayton was nominated for 4 other Oscars - Best Picture, Best Director (Tony Gilroy), Best Screenplay (Tony Gilroy), and Best Music Score (James Newton Howard)- which unfortunately they did not win.

Michael Clayton Movie Review: Advisory for Children and Objectionable Themes:

Not really suitable for children. Michael Clayton is rated R for prevalent language and a scene during which one of the characters explicitly describes a sexual encounter. The film's sole act of violence is when a leading character is clinically killed by a lethal injection.

This film discusses several ethical questions; like should a lawyer take on a case if they know the client is obviously guilty. Should the truth be deliberately distorted in order to get what they want? Should they compromise / turn a blind eye if it leads to injustices?

Runtime: 119 min

Studio: Warner Brothers

Watch the full streaming video of the Michael Clayton movie trailer:

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