Michael Clayton: Review

Michael Clayton is a slow burning legal thriller, A Civil Action with a pulse that surges throughout the entirety. As the film moves along, it slowly builds in tension and effectiveness until the appropriate finale which solidifies the George Clooney vehicle as one of the better thinking man films of the year. Anchored by an intelligent and efficient script, able direction and some great performances, Michael Clayton is the type of work that will long be remembered as one of the minor memorable films of 2007. Led by Clooney, as the title character, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton and Syndey Pollack, the film maneuvers along with grace and intelligence, asking interesting and important questions throughout but never disrespecting the audience enough to give clear, sure fire answers. In other words, it requires its audience to meet it halfway, an action that most will gladly undertake.

Written and directed by Tony Gilroy (best known for the Bourne screenplays), Michael Clayton starts with a bang and then slowly retreats to four days earlier where we find our protagonist being forced into an obviously difficult situation. Clayton, who can best be described as a fixer for a major Manhattan law firm, has been called out to Minnesota to bring back one of the firm's partners, Arthur Edens (Wilkinson), who has had a mental breakdown due to his stopping of his self-medication. Edens has been working on a major case for the firm, a class action lawsuit against the created corporation U/North. While it is initially unclear as to the cause for Edens breakdown, Clayton soon finds that there may be more than initially thought. It seems that Edens has had enough of defending corrupt corporations and has decided to sabotage the case, much to the chagrin of U/North's lead counsel, Karen Crowder (Swinton).

As the film progresses and the facts roll out, the case becomes more morally complicated, not only for Clayton and Crowder but the audience as well. Michael Clayton is at its best due to its steadfast refusal to condemn anyone for their actions, passing judgments in only the subtlest means. As with most legal proceedings, there is a fair amount of moral ambiguity and grey areas. Unlike some other legal dramas, which too cleanly and clearly take sides, Michael Clayton stays level headed and thoughtful, never riding one side too heavily. Rather, it asks some fascinating questions that are not easily answered. In doing so, the film is able to create a dramatic tension, not just from the narrative twists and turns but also from its thematic complications. As the film increases in intensity, its thematic concerns become more apparent, providing the audience with the valuable facts and dilemmas but never clear-cut answers.

The film ultimately is as successful as it is largely due to Mr. Clooney's performance, which balances honor and an ambiguous moral code into something painfully human. The narrative here isn't focused exclusively on the legal case at hand, but also on Clayton's personal struggles, particularly those with his son and family. Without Clooney's charismatic yet never flashy performance, many of the films subtleties may have been lost to overacting. However, Clooney's performance is reserved and understated, much like his work in Syriana and Good Night and Good Luck, the other two recent classics he's been involved in. Slowly but surely, Clooney has become one of Hollywood's great actors, not to mention stars. Its always been obvious that the man has been blessed with tremendous looks and personality but with interesting and adventurous project he chooses, his seemingly natural acting ability becomes more readily apparent.

Clooney is matched here by a wonderful supporting cast, particularly those I have mentioned above, all of which who are as reliable as Clooney has become. Wilkinson is one of the great character actors of modern cinema, creating a bold and brave body of work, filled with both memorable performances and films. Here, as a man on the edge of a complete breakdown, Wilkinson gives a brave and edgy performance, creating a character that may be crazy like a fox, a man who knows too much but has had enough of the deception.

Gilroy's script shines, an intelligent examination of the subject at hand. The dialogue is sharp and incisive, cutting lines spewing from each characters mouths with a zestful abandon. Equally as impressive is Gilroy's directorial skills, which despite Michael Clayton being his debut, are refined and steady. Too many debuts are ruined by an overzealous director throwing every trick at the screen hoping something sticks. Michael Clayton does not suffer from that ailment with Gilroy's work providing nuance and depth to his screenplay while remaining largely invisible. He has crafted a steady thriller that will satisfy most everyone who has the pleasure of seeing it. While younger audiences may find the films general lack of action to be dull, those willing to take the film at its own pace will be amply rewarded with a thematically ambitious thriller that will, hopefully, ignite its viewers into a fruitful and worthwhile discussion of the film's topics.

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