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| Michael Clayton | 
 enlarge | Category: Movie
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Avg. Customer Rating:  214 reviews
Sales Rank: 1196
Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: Video On Demand
Running Time: 120
ASIN: B0014B8KSI
Theatrical Release Date: October 12, 2007
Release Date: August 29, 2008
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| Customer Reviews:
Gray Matter for a Gray World January 31, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I really enjoyed this film. When it was over, I wanted to see it again (always a good sign) and look more closely at certain scenes. There is such a pervasive gray backdrop to the movie that you might think you're watching something from Ridley Scott and it works nicely here. We're talking about dark nights of the soul, so I don't think it's an accident that many scenes take place at night, and if it's daytime it's gray. There's little in the way of cheery sunshine to comfort us.
George Clooney is Michael Clayton, a lawyer for whose specialty is janitorial work-- he cleans up nasty situations that often require calling in favors from the right people to make things disappear. With corporate accountability at an all-time low in the real world, everything that U/North (his firm's big chemical company client) is trying to do is quite believable, even murder. After being called in to help clean up a potential $6 billion mess, Clayton's biggest asset (anonymity) becomes his biggest liability-- even the bad guys he's trying to help don't know who he is, which makes him a target too.
The result is a very hairy four days for Clayton. Every character we bump into is sweating tension from every pore because everyone is plugged-in in some way. Everyone has something at stake, especially Clayton himself. Tom Wilkinson plays Arthur Edens, chief lawyer on the $6 billion lawsuit who's off his meds and apparently three fries short of a Happy Meal... or is he? Clayton's job is to get him back on track before all hell breaks loose, but maybe there's no way off this rollercoaster except by jumping.
A great movie starts with a great script. Great scripts tend to attract great actors. The combination of the two often means great performances. Sprinkle some good direction over the concoction and you've got a winner. I think you'll enjoy this one.
A well-crafted, intelligent thriller February 1, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
This is a well-written and more importantly, well-acted movie that keeps viewers on their toes from start to finish. Michael Clayton [George Clooney in yet another of his trademark brooding roles] plays a 'janitor', a fixer of messes and awkward situations at a law firm run by Marty Bach [Sidney Pollack in a fine performance]. One of this messes involves getting his respected, but manic depressive colleague, Arthur Edens [a very credible Tom Wilkinson]back on track after the latter is charged for indecent exposure whilst at a deposition involving a chemical company.Arhtur's character is quite complex - he decides that his conscience will not allow him to represent the chemical company anymore, and turns out he has been working against the very people he is supposed to represent. Michael's firm is not the only one who wants Arthur under control. Tilda Swinton plays a highly ambitious Karen Crowder, lead counsel at UNorth , the chemical company being represented by Michael's law firm and is utterly ruthless when it comes to protecting her position at the comapny. Her character is played almost flawlessly by Swinton-her nervous gestures,her obsessive compulsiveness, the conflict between doing what is ethical and what is right for her, all of these are portrayed in a very credible manner.
The story really gets off the ground after a main character dies, and the action starts to pick up pace, leaving viewers wondering how everything is going to be set right, if ever.
The plot is quite convoluted, but well-written so that viewers are able to follow the disjointed storyline. The cast of main characters are all complex and flawed people, even Michael himself, and the excellent quality of acting really elevates the movie to above average.
All in all, this is a simmering potboiler of a movie that will intrigue and invite reflection.
 For Adults Only! February 18, 2008
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
Finally a movie for adults that doesn't appeal to the lowest common denominator! A thriller-on-the-run that is absorbing and interesting from start to finish. There are no busty blondes, no shirtless hunks, no raunch, no gore, and no teen sex. Just George Clooney giving a perfectly modulated, understated performance that does not rely on his considerable charm and famed grin. The guy can act, and in this great movie he brings to life a busted-flat, world-weary, hang-dog persona that is hard to forget. If you want a movie that will engage you and entertain you while asking you to think, "Michael Clayton" is the one.
Good Thriller February 21, 2008
4 out of 7 found this review helpful
Not great, but definitely good enough for the $3.99 rental. Enough twists and turns to keep you interested despite being a typical law firm movie (you know, bad attorney with a conscience who ends up doing good).
 Seriously over-rated February 26, 2008
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
With all the hype about this movie, I was shocked at how disappointing it was. The plot is very far from being original: an evil Monsanto-type company is trying to weasel their way out of liability in a multi-billion lawsuit for knowingly poisioning hundreds of people. (Uh, hello! Ever see "A Civil Action" or "The Constant Gardner" or any of a hundred other movies?)
On top of this, the movie is SLOW. Whoever called this a "fast-paced thriller" must either be smoking crack or just be retarded. MC seriously drags.
The only saving grace is that Clooney is such a good actor. Without that, this movie would be worthless.
Not recommended.
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