Michael Clayton (2007)

Director: Tony Gilroy 
Story: Tony Gilroy
Cast: George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, Sydney Pollack
Music: James Newton Howard
Time: 120 minutes
Bottom-line: The scintillating performances keep you engrossed throughout 

An acting-driven legal drama, Tony Gilroy’s directorial debut Michael Clayton shines in almost all aspects, and emerged as one of the most successful films of 2007 (alongside No Country For Old Men, There Will be Blood and Zodiac). The story revolves around the personal and professional life of the titular character.

Clooney as Clayton

The truth can be adjusted.
Michael Clayton (Clooney) is a “fixer” (someone who cleans up after crimes by removing evidence, finding loopholes etc) for Kenner, Bach and Ledeen, a New York Law Firm. His personal problem – he has a debt of $75000 after a restaurant investment with his brother collapsed, and the loan shark is holding his brother and gives Clayton one week to return the money. His problem at work – one of the firm’s leading attorneys, Arthur Edens (Wilkinson) suffers a breakdown and strips naked in public, in the middle of a deposition involving a class-action-lawsuit against U-North, an agro-product conglomerate. U-North’s chief lawyer Karen Crowder (Swinton) is ready to go to any lengths when she discovers Arthur has access to a document regarding a carcinogenic weed killer, one of U-North’s products yet to be manufactured.  How Clayton solves both problems, while his own life is also at risk, is what the film is about.

Wilkinson as Arthur

George Clooney and Tilda Swinton both play characters at the top of their form. Clayton and Crowder are impeccably dressed, fierce lawyers and the only difference is that the former is calm and cunning, while the latter is panicky. Clooney’s best roles seem to be the ones where he has that business-man like attire and demeanour (Ocean’s Eleven, Up in the Air) – delivering powerful lines which can be intimidating despite his charming looks! Wilkinson plays the psychotic but brilliant attorney, Arthur, who decides to fight a lone battle against U-North and puts his own life in jeopardy. From his opening monologue to his threatening phone call to the firm, his acting is outstanding. Swinton won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, mainly because she captures your attention in such a short screen time even if her acting isn’t Oscar-worthy.

Swinton as Crowder

The story contains lot of legal terminology and related issues but it’s fairly easy to follow what is going on even for a layman. It is better to at least know what the terms like “fixer” and “class-action-lawsuit” mean but there is enough drama (especially in Clayton’s life) to entertain you even otherwise. The highlights of the film are the encounters between the lead actors: from the exchanges of Clayton and Arthur in prison to that between Clayton and Crowder in the climax, they bring out the best acting from the cast (and show why the Oscar nominations for Clooney and Wilkinson are well-deserved!).

For a debut film Michael Clayton has to be one of the most critically successful films, and moreover it was nominated for seven Oscars (including Best Picture, Director and Original Screenplay). With intriguing characters, made memorable by the superb acting, and a dramatic storyline, this legal thriller is a must-watch for all, especially fans of Clooney.

My rating: 3.5/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 90%