Michael Clayton (2007)
Director: Tony Gilroy
Writer: Tony Gilroy
Starring: George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, Sydney Pollack
Language: English
Runtime: 120 Minutes
Age Rating: 15
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Reviewed by Ross Miller
George Clooney is an actor that has been swallowed up by his popularity amongst the general public of being good looking. As a result of this we tend to forget what a talent he really is. His latest film Michael Clayton is just a reminder that this guy is an actor as well as a movie star.
Clooney plays the title character of Michael Clayton, an in-house “fixer” for one of the largest corporate law firms in the world. After a mental breakdown of one of the firm’s important attorney’s (Wilkinson), Michael faces the most difficult challenge of his career and his life.
We have been seeing an increase in this type of film on the big-screen over the past couple of years. Films like Syriana (also starring Clooney) and the recent Breach have attempted to showcase political corruption in the most exciting way possible. The former I feel was one of the most contrived and convoluted films to hit cinemas in a long time and the latter was an enjoyable but ultimately underwhelming affair. And with such films as Lions For Lambs and Rendition on their way soon I am sensing a certain point will come where overflow will occur. Michael Clayton however is a worthy, and surprisingly unique, addition into what is becoming a tired genre.
The film takes us deep into a pit of deception and corruption, managing to maintain a perfect balance of a smart, involving story and entertainment. It isn’t what you would generally call "entertaining", at least not in the popcorn “fun” fashion. But rather an entertaining involvement in a story that, if it was handled in a different and wrong way, would otherwise be bland. There is something from the advertising of the film that made it seem in a way superficial. Almost like the whole thing was just a backdrop to an attempt to be nominated for Oscars, simply because of the subject matter. Luckily though the film manages to be sincere and honest enough for it to genuinely deserve said Oscars instead of just begging to be.
Writer of the Bourne franchise Tony Gilroy jumps ship to being a director (but still the writer) with Michael Clayton being is debut. It has to be said that for a first time film not only is it impressive that he could pull something as difficult as this off but the fact that he has pulled it off with ease. If you didn’t know beforehand you would swear this guy had been directing all his life and this was an attempt at a film in his twilight years (a not-so-subtle reference to Sydney Lumet). All of the tension and connectivity of the Bourne films is brought with Gilroy here, minus the action. And I am so glad they opted to leave any flashy action out of Michael Clayton and replace it with scenes of equal or better tension, of which there are plenty.
Despite the A-List status that Mr Clooney has I still am of the opinion that he is one hell of an actor. He has proven that he can balance the superstar reputation (with the Ocean’s franchise for example) with smaller, meatier roles such as Syriana and now this. His performance here is a sure fire consideration for the Oscars early next year, apart from the quality of it, the general kind of role demands that sort of attention.
It is rare to have a film with such a strong lead performance as well as multiple stellar supporting ones. Tilda Swinton is excellent in a role very unflattering to her as just a female in general. We see her without make-up, sweating and struggling to fulfil a business role that she has made for herself within the film. Along with her we have the ever brilliant Tom Wilkinson, seen in the film shouting the odds after having a mental breakdown (almost an outcry for a Best Supporting Oscar nomination). Throw in some blend-into-the-background performances (which is a compliment to all applicable) and you have one of most well rounded casts of the year.
Despite it's fairly wide release this is not what you would call a "mainstream" film, in the classic sense of the word. It is a deeply in-depth study with lots of names and incidents being thrown about between characters. If you don't keep your wits about you you will no doubt be a bit lost. Although that's not to say the it is inexplicable or overly complicated but it is just a film that demands your strict attention.
Where Clooney is definitely the film’s biggest strong suit he is not the only ingredient that makes it work as well as it does. A complimenting mix of a smart script, taut and focused directing and an involving story all work together to make for one of the most admirable, classily pulled off movies I have seen in a while.
This is another film that realises that not every bad guy is simply just bad and not every good guy is a saint. It realises, and confidently shows, that there are shades of murky grey in the world and that not everything is just “fine”. It brings everyone involved down to the bear essentials, stripping all sense of movie-star status away to provide a believable and well executed thriller that will no doubt be talked about for months to come.
