Film review: 'Michael Clayton' a 'stylish' movie with lots of Clooney face time
George Clooney fans, rejoice! Not only is "Michael Clayton" a classy and stylish film with an innovative approach to pitting good guys against bad guys, it also stands on its own as a two-hour study of Clooney's ruggedly handsome face.
When first seen, there's worry all over it. If Clooney is a Method actor, he may have stayed up all night to achieve this disheveled look. Writer-director Tony Gilroy, who wrote all three "Bourne" films as well as "Dolores Claiborne," structured the script to work in a circular manner: Clooney's lead character is introduced shortly after he's reached the lowest of low points. Work is bad, personal relationships are worse, some people might be after him. It's not till 90 minutes later that the story, after flashing back a few days, comes full circle to show his desperate situation.
Michael is, in the lingo of his important law firm, a "fixer." He takes care of the dirty little messes that come through the office. If some wealthy, privileged guy gets drunk, goes out for a drive and hits someone, Michael will visit him late at night to give him some options.
In fact, Michael regularly works through the night, is always tired, and usually wears a look of grim determination, all while somehow staying calm. A series of quick scenes in his office on a "typical" day show his workload - he paces, head to the phone, juggling problems, finding solutions.
But then one of those cases hits home, right inside the office. Arthur (Tom Wilkinson - could someone please give this phenomenal character actor an Oscar?), a senior litigator at the law firm, has been defending a big chemical company on a major class-action suit for a number of years. But he's suddenly seen the light; he's suddenly realized that the company is as guilty as sin, and he intends to do something about it.
This, naturally, doesn't sit well with the firm's boss (Sidney Pollack, as solid an actor as he is a director) or the general counsel (Tilda Swinton), both of whom tell Michael to "fix" the situation.
That's when things get complicated. Arthur, apparently off his meds and building a case against the chemical company, goes missing. Michael, who has a long history - a kind of love-hate relationship - with Arthur, finds him and tries to talk sense to him. But Arthur - and this is where Wilkinson's talent shines - insists that he's already making sense.
Things go bad, then get much worse. With spies, and an unhealthy dose of paranoia, "Michael Clayton" turns into a topnotch thriller - not a whodunit, but a howwuzitdun.
By the time the script closes the circle presented at the start, everything is seen from a newly developed nerve-wracking perspective. The film's topsy-turvy last reel pretty much reinvents much of the characterization seen earlier, presenting new sides to people and circumstances. It has about as great an ending - one that could easily induce audience cheering - as you could hope for. It becomes a real rarity: one of those films you wish hadn't ended.
Grade: A-
Rated R for strong language.