Tony Gilroy, who has scripted all three Jason Bourne adaptations recently and helped revive the spy genre, has his directorial debut of his script in Michael Clayton, and the results are nothing short of spectacular with a story that harkens back to the conspiracy laden, morality plays of the 1970’s and passionate acting to boot by a strong cast.
Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is a fixer of problems for a leading law firm which experiences a crisis as its leading legal mind, Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson) has a breakdown as he defends an industrial giant, U-North, from a multi-billion dollar lawsuit. U-North’s corporate counsel Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton) grows worried and later realizes that Edens may have some other agenda in mind, a trump card of sorts, that may threaten U-North, and she orders a couple of men to eliminate the problem. Add to this Clayton’s own woes as he owes loan sharks big money. As Clayton attempts to help Edens, a tragedy occurs which reverberates with Clayton’s own values and tests his resolve to delve deeper into an insidious world of corporate greed and murder. How far he is willing to go to save his own skin or find justice even if it risks his well being brings him to a defining point in his life.
You know this movie has a high minded agenda and stamp of quality when some of the producers include Steven Soderbergh (Erin Brockovich), Sydney Pollack (Absence of Malice), Anthony Minghella (The English Patient), and Clooney (Syriana) himself. Production values from camerawork to music are all topflight. Gilroy proves a sure-handed director and the film feels like the work of a veteran director of thrillers in the mode of The Insider or any John Grisham adaptation. like The Firm.
Clooney does a very good job as Clayton, a man who solves problems for a law firm. A smart, talented man who knows the legal business, he also is human with a mysterious past. He is far from perfect with shortcomings including a gambling problem and debt, which makes him more identifiable to the audience. Tom Wilkinson (In the Bedroom) is quite convincing with his American accent as the legal giant who has apparently lost his mind (like Bulworth or Network’s Howard Beale), and Tilda Swinton’s company woman, is so good, you wish there were more of her. Swinton’s talent is on the rise after such films as The Deep End. Sydney Pollack has been displaying his acting chops lately and proves to be equally adept at character roles (Tootsie, Eyes Wide Shut) as he is at directing.
The film is quite strong and when it reaches its bravura, concluding scene, it rises to the occasion and elevates the plot to lofty heights and rarefied air. It is a supremely crowd pleasing moment and cinches Michael Clayton as not only an interesting thriller and mystery, but an intelligent, literate morality play highlighting a talented writer now director and its ever shining star.
***1/2 of **** stars
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