This loving throwback to the paranoid thrillers of the ’70s is a beauty.
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10/04/07
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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... [More]
Starring: George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, Sydney Pollack
Director: Tony Gilroy
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Reviews for Michael Clayton
There's a good deal less to the movie than meets the eye--and the ear. But there's still just enough to make for a close verdict in its favor.
10/04/07
Solid, complex character study from the team that's single-handedly championing the genre. This one finds the ever-improving George Clooney as a legal "fixer".
10/03/07
When critics complain about the dumbing down of movies into franchise popcorn, what we're really doing is yearning for a terrifically engrossing, tethered-to-the-real-world drama like Michael Clayton.
10/03/07
Top CriticMichael Clayton literally knocks its brains out trying to be clever, but it ends up being the same kind of smart-alecky filmmaking most of Mr. Clooney’s movies are famous for.
10/03/07
Top CriticHipster filmmakers keep looking backwards to the 1970s, hoping to disguise how ill-equipped they are to deal with contemporary social issues.
10/03/07
While in the theatre seat -- I had a great time -- didn't want the film to end. But, when it did end, the aftertaste wasn't as sweet.
10/03/07
Deliberate, demanding and character-driven, Michael Clayton flies in the face of what sells at the multiplex.
10/03/07
Top CriticThis, ladies and gentlemen, is a Movie Star.
10/02/07
There's sincerity in Gilroy's belief in man's aptitude for recognizing the error of his ways, as well as in his acknowledgement that realignments of one's moral compass often require great application.
10/02/07
It will no doubt be said time and again of Michael Clayton: best John Grisham adaptation ever.
10/02/07
Top CriticAn engrossing, character-driven, multi-layered legal thriller.
10/02/07
Michael Clayton builds to a fitting conclusion and doesn't need surprise twists or cheap theatrics to get to that point.
10/02/07
Top CriticSo: the crazy people are the truly sane ones. Does this sound more like a complex 70s thriller or a dizzy 60s dream?
10/01/07
Clooney looks a little worn, and the shagginess becomes him. He gives a beautiful, modulated performance, and he’s never been more likable. Nor has he ever had better lines.
10/01/07
Top CriticClooney is as good as he has ever been.
10/01/07
Top CriticInsinuating and extremely clever, this insightful, low-key thriller takes a provocative look into the life of a man whose world begins to unravel around him.
09/29/07
Clooney has seldom been better as Clayton, a man beginning to feel that his skill is not exactly being put to good uses.
09/29/07
The real triumph is Clooney's, his award-worthy work confirming his status as this generation's most watchable leading man.
09/29/07
Melodramatic in tone, complex in thought, this 'Clayton' is a thinking person's John Grisham.
09/29/07
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 
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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