Michael Clayton (DVD)

George Clooney plays a burnt-out lawyer and professional 'fixer' who finds himself involved in events surrounding a corporate cover-up. Thriller from the screenwriter of The Bourne Identity
If it hadn't been for 1997's notorious superhero calamity Batman & Robin, George Clooney's career could have gone in a very different direction. Up until then, he'd been following a standard Hollywood leading man trajectory - but after his abortive stint in the Batsuit, Clooney decided to concentrate on doing work he was proud of, and has since evolved into one of Hollywood's most interesting actors.

Interspersing big blockbusters like Ocean's Eleven and its sequels with far more personal and provocative work (particularly his Oscar-winning supporting turn in Syriana), he's a far from predictable actor, and Michael Clayton sees him continuing this aim towards quality. A mix of well-rounded characterisation and legal thriller, it's an absorbing piece of work that results in the kind of multi-layered adult drama that was a Hollywood staple during the 1970s.

Written and directed by Tony Gilroy, the screenwriter behind the first and second Jason Bourne movies, the story revolves around Michael Clayton, a divorced ex-prosecutor who now works as an all-purpose 'fixer' for a major New York corporate law firm. It's Michael Clayton's job to clean up the messes made by prestigious clients, and while he's exceptionally good at doing this kind of dirty work, he's also desperate to leave the profession, and is mired in debt following a failed business venture.

When Clayton's close friend and attorney Arthur Edens (Wilkinson) experiences a dramatic mental breakdown while organising the settlement of a multi-million dollar lawsuit, Clayton is sent to get him under control. Unfortunately, the guilt-wracked Edens is now determined to derail the lawsuit, bringing him into direct conflict with the corporation involved; their chief litigator Karen Crowder (Swinton) is soon taking unprecedented measures to keep the case from falling apart.

With a plot featuring plenty of corporate skulduggery, wire-tapping and general paranoia, the thriller aspects of the film are gripping and well put together, showcasing a slick visual style that's reminiscent of director Michael Mann's work in The Insider.

Dealing with morally grey areas and showing the legal business to be a dirty, soul-corrupting job, it's a film that raises plenty of questions, and isn't afraid to point out the culpability of its main character. It also doesn't make the mistake of over-stylising its world, instead painting the story in neutral tones, making even a potential villain such as Tilda Swinton's compromised lawyer into a believable and empathetic character.

While the adult portrayal of the shadowy, morally ambiguous world of corporate law means Michael Clayton isn't a film that spells things out, there are also moments where the storytelling is a little too murky. This kind of film needs clarity, and while the characterisation remains excellent, the plot is a little haphazard, leaving the details of the pivotal central lawsuit unclear for too long. These problems can also be seen at the climax, which forgoes some of the story's complexity, and ties up the plot threads rather too neatly for comfort. Michael Clayton is gripping, but the thriller portions of the story are exploring material which is over-familiar.

George Clooney already has one acting Oscar to his name, and it’s unsurprising that immediately after the release of Michael Clayton, there were many arguing he was deserving of a second. For without a doubt, as impressive as the film is, it’s very much Clooney who powers this one forward.

Written and directed by Tony Gilroy, who previously adapted the Bourne movies for the big screen, Clooney takes the title role as a lawyer who goes in to do the jobs that, bluntly, nobody else wants to know about. And before long, Clooney discovers a cover-up that proves to be a mighty challenge to uncover, and one the inevitably conflicts him as a result.

Aided by a superb supporting cast that includes the likes of Sydney Pollack, Tom Wilkinson and Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton at its best is a tense and effective thriller, written and directed steadfastly well by Gilroy. It’s not without a few problems, most notably a comparably weak conclusion and one or two underdeveloped characters. But it’s still a worthwhile film, and very much worth seeking out to simply enjoy a terrific performance from a Hollywood leading man who absolutely refuses to shy away from edgier roles. Long may he continue to do so

Think of Erin Brockovitch meets Danny Ocean with a sniff of Jason Bourne and you've got the gist of Michael Clayton. It's a modern thriller set in the world of corporate shenanigans, where a shady fixer finally rejects a life of double-dealing and scurrilous deeds.
Clooney is superb as the title character, who once was a lawyer and whose brother is a law officer, but who somehow has lost his way and bends the rules all the time as 'fixer' for a huge firm of corporate lawyers, who are always in pursuit of another billable hour. Clayton has another brother, a loser, who has racked up debts and who has wiped out Clayton's savings in the process. The complex plot weaves together Clayton's personal story with a class action lawsuit, similar to the tale told in Erin Brockovitch, and follows Clayton's journey to redemption... via personal loss and extreme jeopardy. Clayton himself is a compulsive gambler -- can he forgive his brother and find forgiveness for himself?

The director wrote the fast-paced Bourne trilogy, and Michael Clayton is just as tightly-scripted and hair-trigger tense, but the pace is more considered and less rushed. Much of the action goes on internally, so don't expect great car chases, shouting and shooting. You have to think about what's going on and follow Clayton's emotional response to the situation that blows up in his face.
Tilda Swinton is utterly superb as the bad guy (girl). She's a grim, ambitious litigator who will stop at absolutely nothing to avoid losing her company's case. She's so highly strung she almost shatters; there's a stunning scene with her in the rest rooms, nearly coming apart at the seams under huge stress.
But the star is Clooney and he carries the film superbly. There are many beautiful and carefully composed shots -- look out for the poignant scene with the horses in particular -- and it all comes together in an entirely satisfactory and fulfilling resolution.
OK, so maybe the ending is just a little bit too good to be true. But we'd like to believe in this kind of thing, so I didn't mark it down for that!
100% recommended viewing.

The reviews were excellent and George Cloony is fab! The film was fairly intense but held your interest throughout.

Really enjoyed it!!

Complex, absorbing thriller set in the world of big business with George Clooney - in the performance of his life - as a law firm's fixer who has to cope with their top lawyer going mad. Great performances, too, from Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson and Sydney Pollack.

This film makes a worthy investment on DVD. It's filled with strong performances, excellent writing and richly developed characters. I won't bother with a plot summary, but needless to say, it's quite complicated and fast-moving. This is one of those rare Hollywood films that acknowledges moral ambiguities. George Clooney is particularly good. His performance shows he is back on form, portraying a likeable but conflicted character. Tilda Swindon's performance is astonishingly naturalistic and convincing. Ultimately this story achieves a fairly predictable conclusion, but it is still well worth watching and re-watching.

This is a thriller that has no pauses,It's edge on the seat compelling stuff..
I like how clooney has used British actors to make the film go with the fuse that he lit..This is an exploding hit..

Run at a fast pace. Good movie for clooney fans. Was well worth the academy nomination. Well worth adding to your collection.

didnt like this film very slow , got fed up with it about 15 min in ,would not recommend this i found it quite boring .

Decided to buy this dvd from previous good reviews, George Clooney always seems to appeal as well. This was the case here, interesting plot, fast moving. Definitely one to watch.

George Clooney is really great in this part, and the overall concept is very believable which gives it a chilling quality.
The story wanders a bit in the middle and loses the clear cut punchyness that it starts out with. The quality of the acting from everyone is what saves it from being over rated and mediocre. Clooney has produced his best work to date and his intensity helps to keep it clipping along at a fair pace.

Worth seeing.

What I like about the dvd is that it is new and sealed , also it had free delivery. When I played the DVD the picture quality was excellent.

This is a really enjoyable film. At times it is slow paced and involves relatively few characters, but the few who are in it make fantastic performances.

The ending although a little predictable ties up all the loose ends together and you come away from the film happy that the good guys win.

Clooney is getting better, and the films he`s appearing in are as well. Well written, directed, filmed, and acted. One to watch