Michael Clayton Movie Review

MICHAEL CLAYTON: CAPTURES YOUR MIND AND DOESN’T LET GO

Michael Clayton takes you prisoner right from the beginning with actor Tom Wilkinson’s Arthur leaving a message for handler Michael Clayton. It is a chaotic thriller with writer/director Tony Gilroy bringing tension to a satisfying film. George Clooney and Wilkinson give impressive performances.

Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is a janitor for a lawyer firm. That is, he cleans up messes for the lawyers. But he also has his own mess of a life. He is in debt for $75,000 due to the failure of a bar he went in on with his alcoholic brother. When one of their brilliant, top attorneys, Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson) loses it during a deposition for a billion dollar case, Michael is sent in to take care of it. The firm will get him out of his financial disarray if he solves the problem. The company that the firm is representing sends in one of their own, Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton). She attempts to clean up the dirtiness on her own. When Arthur shows up dead, Michael suspects foul play and does his own investigating. As he gets closer to the truth his own life is threatened.

The story is a good old fashioned suspenseful, white knuckling drama. From the moment you hear Arthur’s craze induced speech that he leaves for Michael, you are hooked. It will leave you in anticipation, waiting to see what will happen next. George Clooney as the title character is haggard and worn down. The world has beat up Michael and you can see it in his eyes and constant 5 o’clock shadow. His shoulders are hunched. His voice is strained with an edge to it. But his good guy appeal comes through when he has a heart to heart with his son. Tom Wilkinson literally bounces from reality to insanity. He doesn’t stop throughout the film to catch his breath. He has moments of clarity within his appeals to Michael that make you think he isn’t as crazy as you think. Tilda Swinton is cold and harsh as the stoic Karen. Moments of emotion are only shown while she is alone, practicing what she will say for her interviews. It is the dead of winter in Milwaukee and New York City. There is no happiness, only coldness and grey.
Some minor details are glazed over that can cause some confusion throughout the story. Some sharpening of these details would have made the film more complete. To reveal these details would be to reveal key plot points.

Outstanding performances by Clooney and Wilkinson in Michael Clayton continue their even more exceptional careers. This is a gratifying story about corporate greed and how far it will go. It will sustain itself in the archive of dramas such as Michael Mann’s The Insider.

Report Card:

Story-B+

Acting-B+

Visuals-B

Originality/Innovation-B+

Enjoyability Grade–B+

Overall Grade-B+