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Michael Clayton
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Potent legal drama focusing on a few days in the complicated life of the title character (George Clooney), a "fixer" for a high-powered law firm whose managing partner (Sydney Pollack) dispatches him to deal with the apparent nervous breakdown of the firm's top litigator (Tom Wilkinson) and with its effects on a multimillion-dollar, class-action lawsuit against an agrochemical company whose chief counsel (Tilda Swinton) is prepared to protect her company's interests by whatever means necessary. Writer-director Tony Gilroy's masterfully absorbing film begins at a gallop and the pace -- driven forward by uniformly intense performances -- never slackens. Much rough and crude and some crass language, frequent use of profanity, one scene of a female character in clinging underwear. A-III -- adults. (R) 2007
The stakes are high, the pace is fast and the performances are uniformly intense in "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.). This potent legal drama, which focuses on just a few days in the complicated life of its title character, manages to deliver not only intrigue and suspense, but moral and psychological insight as well.
Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is a "fixer" for Kenner, Bach and Ledeen, a high-powered law firm led by partner Marty Bach (Sydney Pollack). As such, he's used to cleaning up all manner of personal problems, from hit-and-run accidents to arrests for shoplifting.
Even Clayton's skills are put to the test, however, when the firm's top litigator, Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson), has a meltdown during a vital deposition. The case at hand is a multimillion-dollar class-action suit against U/North, a major agrochemical company.
When the recovering Edens begins to show signs of turning traitor in the case, U/North's legal counsel, Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton), makes it clear to Clayton that the rogue partner must be controlled by whatever means necessary. Given Edens' mastery of the law, however, this will not be an easy task.
Adding to the pressure is the fact that Clayton is in debt to a loan shark. His only chance of clearing the debt is to receive a substantial "bonus" from the firm. But that, in turn, depends on his success in restraining the unpredictable and determined Edens.
Fans of the Jason Bourne trilogy will not be surprised that the writer of that series, Tony Gilroy, makes his directorial debut here with a sleek and masterfully absorbing film, one which he also scripted. Equally magisterial and compelling are the performances by Clooney, who also served as the film's executive producer; Pollack, also a producer; and Swinton.
As fine as the whole cast is, however, the film ultimately belongs to Wilkinson. From the manic opening monologue onward, his character, teetering between insight and insanity, poses the essential question: whether it is he, or the system against which he is rebelling, that has truly run amok.
Although "Michael Clayton" sometimes carries its critique of legal and economic corruption beyond the strict bounds of realism, the moral concerns the film raises are, nonetheless, both weighty and relevant. The conflict between purity and profit, between the highest obligations and the bottom line is an ancient one. Yet its portrayal here is as fresh and effective as it is stark.
The film contains much rough and crude and some crass language, frequent use of profanity, and one scene of a female character in clinging underwear. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Movies have been evaluated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishop's Office for Film and Broadcasting according to artistic
merit and moral suitability. The reviews include the USCCB rating,
the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and a brief
synopsis of the movie.
The classifications are as follows:
- A-I -- general patronage;
- A-II -- adults and adolescents;
- A-III -- adults;
- A-IV**
- L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. L replaces the previous classification, A-IV.
- O -- morally offensive.
** Discontinued classification. All archived movies that were originally in the A-IV category are now classified as L.
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