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Movies / On DVD / Michael Clayton
Michael Clayton

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Michael Clayton (2007)

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Reviews Counted:189

Fresh:170

Rotten:19

Average Rating:7.6/10

Consensus: Michael Clayton is one of the most sharply scripted films of 2007, with an engrossing premise and faultless acting. Director Tony Gilroy succeeds not only in capturing the audience's attention, but holding it until the credits roll.

Runtime: 2 hrs

Genre: Law/Lawyers, Thriller, Mental Illness, Divorce, Theatrical Release

Theatrical Release:Oct 12, 2007 Wide

Box Office: $48,976,323

Synopsis: Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is what is known in the legal world as a "fixer," or in the character's own pejorative version, a "janitor" who cleans up legal messes for VIPs and corporations on... Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is what is known in the legal world as a "fixer," or in the character's own pejorative version, a "janitor" who cleans up legal messes for VIPs and corporations on behalf of a prestigious New York City law firm. A former litigator, Clayton has found a niche that capitalizes on his legal acumen and shrewd people skills, and yet, after 13 years on the job, finds himself increasingly disgusted with his clientele. The film covers four pivotal days of his life, in which a midlife crisis and a crisis of conscience neatly converge when he is called in to "fix" a situation unfolding in one of his firm's hottest cases. Brilliant lawyer Arthur Edens (another powerhouse performance by Tom Wilkinson), representing a huge agro-chemical corporation being hit by a class action suit, has a bipolar breakdown, compounded by guilt over his defense of a company that is probably in the wrong, but is wealthy enough to buy its innocence either way. The company's CEO (Tilda Swinton) will stop at nothing to keep Edens from sinking the case. Clayton must decide how much of Edens's mad rebellion against the company is sheer mental illness, how much is true, and how much it will cost him to do the right thing. Clooney delivers a rich performance as a hangdog and haunted man who wants to stay on the side of good, but is a little too skilled at moral margin-walking to make that an easy choice in every situation. Swinton glows as a secretly frail Amazon who somehow won't let a tortured conscience prevent her from getting ahead. The final third of the film is as suspenseful as any courtroom drama, without ever resorting to legal-thriller cliches. [More]

Starring: George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, Sydney Pollack

Starring: George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, Sydney Pollack

Director: Tony Gilroy

Director: Tony Gilroy
Screenwriter: Tony Gilroy
Producer: Sydney Pollack, Jennifer Fox, Steve Samuels, Kerry Orent
Composer: James Newton Howard
Studio: Warner Bros.

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Release:

Feb 19, 2008

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Reviews for Michael Clayton

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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Equates serious inquiry with inert filmmaking

Full Review Source: CinePassion | comment Comment
08/27/09
Fernando F. Croce
Fernando F. Croce
CinePassion

Clooney's latest venture into panache is thriller style in Michael Clayton.

Full Review Source: Fayetteville Free Weekly | comment Comment
02/02/09
Tony Macklin
Tony Macklin
Fayetteville Free Weekly

If I had to sum this movie up with one word, it would be tense.

Full Review Source: Three Movie Buffs | comment Comment
10/18/08
Scott Nash
Scott Nash
Three Movie Buffs

[A] smoldering corporate thriller.

Full Review Source: NPR.org | comment Comment
10/18/08
Bob Mondello
Bob Mondello
NPR.org

Grisham for exceptionally bleeding hearts

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
08/09/08
Dan Jardine
Dan Jardine
Apollo Guide

Michael Clayton definitely has its heart in the '70s.

Full Review Source: MSNBC | comment Comment
05/01/08
Alonso Duralde
Alonso Duralde
MSNBC

Malo je gledatelja koji od prve ne%u0107e shvatiti tko su u filmu pozitivci a tko negativci.

Full Review Source: Index.hr | comment 1 Comment
04/10/08
Dragan Antulov
Dragan Antulov
Index.hr

A killer voice-over by Tom Wilkinson sets the tone for this dramatic thriller, and you're willing to go on the journey even if you don't understand it all the time.

Full Review Source: The Scorecard Review | comment Comment
03/03/08
Jeff Bayer
Jeff Bayer
The Scorecard Review

The cast is outstanding, with Clooney giving the strongest performance of his career, which says a lot since he already has an Oscar

Full Review Source: Nolan's Pop Culture Review | comment Comment
03/01/08
Michael A. Smith
Michael A. Smith
Nolan's Pop Culture Review

A serviceable drama/thriller that starts a little slow, but ultimately gets into a nice rhythm.

Full Review Source: JoBlo's Movie Emporium | comment Comment
02/22/08
JoBlo
JoBlo
JoBlo's Movie Emporium

Clooney's glamorous intelligence is deepened by his constant hints that slickness, like corporate integrity, is just an act.

Full Review Source: I.E. Weekly | comment Comment
02/22/08
Amy Nicholson
Amy Nicholson
I.E. Weekly

A straight-ahead suspense melodrama, complete with villain and a climax with satisfyingly clean lines. But Gilroy constantly elevates the material with surprise gifts. [Blu-Ray review]

Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews | comment Comment
02/20/08
Peter Canavese
Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews

Each new viewing brings something fresh and insightful with it.

Full Review Source: DVDTown.com | comment Comment
02/05/08
John J. Puccio
John J. Puccio
DVDTown.com

a thriller of the most sophisticated type, playing the macrocosm of Clayton's professional problems against the microcosm of the soul he thought he had conveniently compartmentalized

Full Review Source: Killer Movie Reviews | comment Comment
01/30/08
Andrea Chase
Andrea Chase
Killer Movie Reviews

Michael Clayton, The Re-Release: Suits in deadly combat may not sound like the ideal setup for an action thriller, especially if the labels are of the pricey designer variety. But hey, this is George Clooney, who isn't half bad no matter what he's wearing

Full Review Source: NewsBlaze | comment Comment
01/25/08
Prairie Miller
Prairie Miller
NewsBlaze

By now, George Clooney is so smooth, he could be a brand name like Gillette or Ex-Lax.

Full Review Source: Time Out New York | comment Comment
01/18/08
Joshua Rothkopf
Joshua Rothkopf
Time Out New York

Clooney is just one of a stellar cast perfectly suited to their roles, with Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson and Sydney Pollack sharing his command of the material whenever they're on screen.

Full Review Source: Dark Horizons | comment Comment
01/15/08
Garth Franklin
Garth Franklin
Dark Horizons

Un drama en clave de thriller sobre la corrupción corporativa, a medio camino entre El Informante y Erin Brockovich. Estupendo debut en la dirección del guionista Tony Gilroy.

Full Review Source: Uruguay Total | comment Comment
12/25/07
Enrique Buchichio
Enrique Buchichio
Uruguay Total

Gilroy demonstra segurança invejável na condução da narrativa e na concepção estética do filme.

Full Review Source: Cinema em Cena | comment Comment
12/06/07
Pablo Villaca
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena

...a success because the actors work hard (but not too hard) to convey a sense of genuine investment in the onscreen problems, and because the rest of the behind-the-scenes technicians do immaculate, invisible work

Full Review Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | comment Comment
11/30/07
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
 
 
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Latest News for Michael Clayton

May 11, 2009: RT Interview: Tilda Swinton on Julia
One of the most diverse and celebrated talents of her generation, the directors on Tilda Swinton's CV represent a veritable who's who of independent cinema and include David... More...

May 27, 2008: Sydney Pollack: A Retrospective
With two Oscar wins and plenty more nominations under his belt, Sydney Pollack was a filmmaker that Hollywood admired. He was also a proven actor's director whose fruitful... More...

May 26, 2008: Sydney Pollack dies aged 73
Academy Award-winning director, producer and actor, Sydney Pollack, dies aged 73. More...

April 11, 2008: Script Review: Tony Gilroy's Duplicity Opens in new window
Tony Gilroy's follow-up to Michael Clayton -- the Clive Owen/Julia Roberts-led Duplicity -- is filming now, and Latino Review is offering a review of the script. More...

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