Writer: Tony Gilroy
Director: Tony Gilroy
Cast: Tom Wilkinson, Michael O’Keefe, Sydney Pollack, Tilda Swinton, George Clooney
Rating: R
Studio: Warner Bros
Release Date: February 19, 2008
Right before the Oscars, I opened up my copy of Michael Clayton with sheer anticipation. Knowing George Clooney was up for an Oscar for this movie was all I needed to get me in the mood. I would have wanted to see it anyway, because Clooney offers a magical sense of old, classic Hollywood that just doesn’t exist anymore. I’ve been watching Clooney’s career ever since his days on Facts of Life and ER. I even find amusement knowing that he was Sparky the Gay Dog on South Park. I am a fan of more of his movies than not, so when they come out I look for them. The main thing I wanted to see with Michael Clayton was how good Clooney was and if I thought that he would waltz away with the Oscar in such a competitive male actor year.
After watching Michael Clayton I can honestly say that this should be his year. Of course, I say should because Daniel Day Lewis starred in There Will Be Blood and it is hard to beat such an amazing competitor. This does not take away one thing from the film though. George Clooney puts in a stunning performance and the supporting actors in this film back him up 110%. Michael Clayton flows like a perfectly oiled machine. The movie builds you up with just enough drama and suspense until you hit the climax and are brought down nicely. Films generally do not get much better than this.
Release Information:
Michael Clayton started things off at the Venice Film Festival on August 31, 2007. After that it made its way to the Deauville Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival, and the Dubai Film Festival. It also opened in the U.K. just prior to a limited release in the U.S. on October 5, 2007, a week before the full release. All in all, the film made over $45 million in theaters just in the U.S. The movie was released on DVD format on February 19, 2008. It includes one disc in either full screen or widescreen and a small selection of special features. You can pick this up at any of the major retailers that sell DVDs. It’s also available at Amazon for $17.
The Michael Clayton Plot
Before I bring up the plot I have to admit, if you are tired of films that point out every single detail like you’re a two year or you would be unable to understand it otherwise, then you will love this movie. Seeing an intelligent thriller is a nice change and it definitely gets the job done when it comes to the entertainment factor.
George Clooney is Michael Clayton. If you didn’t like him before, this stunning performance may end up changing your mind. Clayton is a fixer in one of the city’s biggest law firms. What that means is that when there is a problem with a client or there is a mess to clean up, Clayton is called in to make sure the mess is as small as possible. For this reason, he often refers to himself as the janitor. Clayton does not do courtroom appearances. All he does is clean up and believe me, it’s a full time job.
Clayton might be able to fix everything in his day job, but his personal life is in shambles because of it. Naturally, his is a 240hour on-call job fixer and between problems with the wife, betrayals by the brother, and money troubles of an unexpected nature, it’s a wonder that he is as successful as he is. Of course, Clayton is the best.
Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson), a long time associate and personal friend of Clayton’s will be the one to put him to the ultimate test. Edens is working on the firm’s biggest case. It is his job to find out a way to toss out a complaint concerning corporate negligence. This class action lawsuit has meant big money for the firm, but it could be big money lost for everyone if the company loses. The problem is that Edens uncovers some information that is devastating to the company in all of the worst ways. Soon after, he goes off his medication and has a series of psychotic episodes.
It is Clayton’s job to get Edens under control before he blows the entire case. The problem is that the weight of Edens conscious will be passed on for Clayton to bear, as well. While Edens uncovers something that he finds that he cannot live with, Clayton learns that and just how deep the level of corruption has gone. Unfortunately for him, the main thing he has to clean up may be getting out of this mess alive and unharmed.
This is not a movie that you want to know a great deal about before you see it. This is a movie better experienced with little knowledge, especially during your first viewing. This film has a story. Every detail is connected, but you have to wait for the moment where you see the pieces connect like the perfect puzzle that this movie is.
Michael Clayton is one of the few movies that had me glued to my seat for the entire time. I wanted to know what would happen and how things would ultimately connect. It was a surprise to learn that even once I had discovered all of the pieces to the puzzle, the movie continued to be engaging. I still wanted to see every remaining second and was fully satisfied once the movie had ended.
The main actors in this are all perfectly cast and they are being led by a more than capable director that brings things all together. Clooney and Wilkinson are just stunning and Swinton is the perfect degree of cold to do her job effectively. Anything more or less would have ruined her calculating character. You have to be willing to give Michael Clayton a blind chance, but if you do I guarantee you will not be sorry. You may be uncertain of what to expect, but as the movie unfolds, the pieces all come together in a brilliant story that deserves all of the attention that it is receiving.
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Audio/Visual:
Michael Clayton was shot by Robert Elswit. This may not mean much to you, but it means quality to those familiar with his name. It’s no wonder why this movie is absolutely chilling, offering the embodiment of a corporate world without an issue. The 2.35:1 widescreen images definitely do not do a thing to hurt the DVD either. Every single image is crisp, clear, and perfect, as they should be. It does not get better than a transfer like this one.
Likewise, the sound department did a fabulous job of keeping up with the video guys. In Dolby Digital 5.1 you can choose between English, French, and Spanish tracks. There is also a Dolby Digital 2.0 track that has been included. Subtitles are available for each language and there are English subtitles specifically for the hearing impaired.
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Bonus Features:
Surprisingly enough, there are not a lot of special features that are available on this disc. You would think with such an awesome movie they could scare up some added features, but apparently that is only done for the movies that make you want to throw up long before you get to the extra content. First off, there are three special features that seem to serve absolutely no point at all.
All three of them make it obvious to see why they were cut. One was good and offered more information about Clayton, but it wouldn’t have done anything for the film. The other two were just unnecessary. There is a full length commentary, as well as commentary for each of the deleted scenes. Other than that it’s just your standard trailer action and that’s it.
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Bottom Line:
Michael Clayton is a film that you do not want to miss. It’s brilliant from start to finish and strong in all the ways that a blockbuster should be. Clooney rarely disappoints, but here he will blow you away. The supporting cast is shockingly good and the film is truly poised to get the Oscar buzz that it deserved. Whether this film hits it big at the box office or not, Michael Clayton remains one of the best DVD options this year, one of the best films of last year, and it’s highly recommended for purchasing.
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Technorati Tags: Movie, Michael Clayton, George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, DVD Review, Lawyer, Court, Cleanup, Janitor, Drama, Thriller
