Who exactly is Michael Clayton? The subject of Tony Gilroy's (writer of the Bourne-franchise) new film of the same name is one of the year's more complex characters.
Clayton (George Clooney), labeled a "miracle-worker" at his corporate law firm, considers himself the company janitor due to his reputation for cleaning and covering up for his clients. In addition to his seedy profession, Clayton has a history of gambling problems, a remarried ex-wife and an adoring son he can barely fit into his schedule.
The film hits the ground running, operating at a high-octane pace that overwhelms the audience with information, plot points and general ambiguity. When Clayton miraculously avoids death after his car explodes, the chaos and confusion of the non-linear structure reaches new heights, barely minimized by the words "four days earlier."
From here on, Gilroy masterfully unfolds the plot card by card. U/North, an agricultural giant, has been involved in a six-year lawsuit with small-time farmers. U/North's corporate defense lawyer, Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson), has had an outrageous public meltdown. Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton), a lonely woman-in-charge type recently appointed as the CEO of U/North, tries to keep the Edens situation under control. Clayton is sent to fix the situation in part because of his personal relationship with Edens.
Swinton shows her character's heartbreaking frailty under a well-constructed corporate façade. Wilkinson balances his character's manic-depression and lawyer-like pragmatism deftly; his character's insanity leaves the audience questioning the America we reside in today.
Clooney checks his Danny Ocean smugness at the door and picks up a permanent weariness and determination. He often drives around in his company Mercedes with a slight scowl on his face-cynical but not quite sure where to direct his unhappiness.
The film crackles with intelligence, tension and an underlying social commentary that will strike a deep chord in the American psyche. At certain moments, the film has shades of All the President's Men. However, the truth Edens discovers and Clayton fights to unveil would simply be average if it wasn't so realistic and mature. Clayton might not have the ultimate glory of Woodward and Bernstein, but his exchange with Crowder at the film's climax is a stunning piece of cinematic work.
Michael Clayton is a somber, yet eerily satisfying film. Gilroy, for the most part, strays from hokey lines and melodrama. His filmmaking comes across stark and real-one scene involving Crowder's cronies and Edens will leave your blood cold. Michael Clayton is a film not about the conspiracy it unravels, but rather the victims the conspiracy leaves behind.
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