Michael Clayton So far 2007 hasn't been a knockout movie year, but isn't over yet either. I think Michael Clayton is the first really good movie that I have seen all year. There have been some good movies, in fact the first part of Ratatouille is top notch movie making, though it lags a bit towards the end. You could also make me sit through A Death at a Funeral without pushing too hard. I also make no claims to have seen all the movies that came out so far. Michael Clayton is a keeper, and you should go see it.
Michael Clayton is a clever mixing of a thriller and a character study, it is neither, and at the same time it is both. It reminded me of The Conversation (1974), where Gene Hackman plays a surveillance expert (Harry Caul), and while doing his job, finds he is in over his head, way over. The Conversation is a movie that kicks you in the gut if there ever was such a movie.
Michael Clayton, played superbly by George Clooney (who is also one of the executive producers), is a "fixer" for a large law firm, the guy who cleans up the messes. People seem to always been asking why he hasn't made partner yet and he doesn't really respond, but you can see it in his eyes. No matter what he does, it is never enough. This movie turns to his story right when everything is going down fast. This is the story of the worst day of his life. The movie is very evenly paced, doesn't have a lot of action, this is not a shoot-em up, and in a bold move has absolutely NO love interest. How many times can you say that about a movie? The portrait is heart breaking, and it is hard to think of anything I would change, even if I could. It is a wonderful piece of filmmaking. This is a solid contender for an Oscar(s), but it will also depend on what comes in the rest of the year.
 The movie was written and produced by Tony Gilroy, and unbelievably this is his first movie as director. He previously wrote the screenplay for the Bourne series. For a first movie this is an incredible job, very confident. The cinematography is not flashy, but always looks right, right on the money in fact. All of the parts are well cast and well acted, especially Tom Wilkinson (Arthur Edens) as the top-notch lawyer that is going through a breakdown while Michael Clayton tried desperately trying to pull him back together. If movies were born to tell stories, then Michael Clayton is a story worth listening to. Go listen.
You can write James Harper at movielover77061@yahoo.com. |
