ROTTEN TOMATOES: Michael Clayton Returning to Theaters January 25

Michael Clayton Returning to Theaters January 25

Now's your chance to repent for your non Clayton-seeing ways.

by Jeff Giles | January 18, 2008

For Michael Clayton, critical praise has been more plentiful than box-office receipts -- but that balance is set to shift, at least a little, when Warner Bros. re-releases the George Clooney film on January 25.

The studio made the announcement Wednesday, noting that Clayton has been "named to more than 100 critics' top-ten lists, including those of the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, New York Magazine, the Chicago Sun-Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, the Miami Herald, The Philadelphia Inquirer, People, and Time." (Not to mention yours truly.) If you haven't seen it yet, here's a synopsis, just to get you in the mood:

In "Michael Clayton," George Clooney stars in the title role of an in-house "fixer" at one of the largest corporate law firms in New York. At the behest of the firm's co-founder Marty Bach (Sydney Pollack), Clayton, a former prosecutor from a family of cops, takes care of Kenner, Bach & Ledeen's dirtiest work. Clayton cleans up clients' messes, handling anything from hit-and-runs and damaging stories in the press to shoplifting wives and crooked politicians. Though burned out and discontented in his job, Clayton is inextricably tied to the firm. At the agrochemical company U/North, the career of in-house chief counsel Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton) rests on the settlement of the suit that Kenner, Bach & Ledeen is leading to a seemingly successful conclusion. When the firm's top litigator, the brilliant Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson), has an apparent breakdown and tries to sabotage the entire case, Marty Bach sends Michael Clayton to tackle this unprecedented disaster and, in doing so, Clayton comes face to face with the reality of who he has become.

Currently boasting a 90 percent Tomatometer rating, Michael Clayton looks to improve its roughly $40 million domestic gross with the re-release, which will roll out to approximately 1,000 theaters, where it'll go up against How She Move, Rambo, and Untraceable.

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(1-20 of 22 posts) | Reply

Gimy writes:
on Jan 18 2008 06:07 AM

sweet! i'll choose not to see it again this time around as well...

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dahluzz writes:
on Jan 18 2008 06:54 AM

oh god, clooney's smug cloud is heading back this way! run!

the guy's a pompous @$$, but i've heard nothing but good things about this movie. maybe i'll give it a whirl on a sunday afternoon or something.

(Reply to this)

Scarborough Fair writes:
on Jan 18 2008 08:13 AM

I saw it. Tom Wilkinson's performance is a great tribute to utter madness.

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jpotter writes:
on Jan 18 2008 08:21 AM

i thought it was good.

(Reply to this)

BuckyUnderbelly writes:
on Jan 18 2008 08:41 AM

Great flick. Nice slow burn. Very satisfying. And great performances all round.

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BowieSwimmer writes:
on Jan 18 2008 08:54 AM

Very satisfying, very well-made, with a slow build after a quick boom at the beginning. Reminiscent of all the great political thrillers from the 70s.

I'm not sure if it will get anymore attention that its first run though.
As its has Oscar buzz, its certainly not buzzing to the same levels as No Country, Atonement, and Juno. So I think [once again] box office receipts will seem disappointing.
But you really should catch it, not really for Clooney, but more from Wilkinson and Swinton. The climactic verbal battle and the absolute final shot are almost worth the ticket price alone. Almost.

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SlyDante writes:
on Jan 18 2008 09:36 AM

Personally, I thought Michael Clayton was overrated. It originally looked like it could deliver in the excitement area for me, but instead I ended up just being bored. I'm not saying it's BAD...Just that it's not as Oscar-worthy as everyone says, IMO.

Personally, I wish that instead of re-releasing MC, they'd just up the number of theaters showing No Country For Old Men & There Will Be Blood: The two movies guaranteed Best Pic noms that I'd WANT to see.

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Floor Man writes:
on Jan 18 2008 01:57 PM

This was by FAR my favorite movie (that I've seen so far) of 2007: I highly recommend it! *I* think it's very *underrated*, to be honest.

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tiganofamily writes:
on Jan 18 2008 02:01 PM

this movie was like a porno, only with no nudity or sex or orgasm's. people who like this movie must have no potential for excitement whatso ever. the movie is BORING from start to finish. Tom wilkinson does give a great performance, But that aside, this movie could put an insomniac to sleep. George clooney is very subdued and dull, so is the script. The "ACTION SCENES" have no action. If you're having trouble sleeping, go see it, if you have a personality go see "I am legend" or "rambo" or "cloverfield". Michael clayton should have been called: Zzzzzzzzzzz

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~*Admiral Snowstorm*~ writes:
on Jan 18 2008 02:11 PM

Excuse me and the rest of us, tiganofamily, for enjoying character-driven movies that don't use explosions to move from plot point to plot point.

Maybe I can convince my father to take me to see this.

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Bardego writes:
on Jan 18 2008 09:01 PM

Michael Clayton was my fifth-favorite film of 2007, and I think Tony Gilroy is more deserving of the Best Original Screenplay Oscar than Diablo Cody (no offense to her, of course).

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CoUcH ToMaToE DoUgIe writes:
on Jan 18 2008 10:36 PM

well, i am eager to see it.. the first time around i decided to

see american gangster instead and lets just say I Won't make that mistake

again;) Can't wait to see this great film i=unlike that other movie i saw

... which was even to being call great!

(Reply to this)

CoUcH ToMaToE DoUgIe writes:
on Jan 18 2008 10:37 PM

correction... ".... which was NOT even CLOSE to being great!"

sorry about the typo:) carry on.

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John Z. Delorean writes:
on Jan 19 2008 10:52 AM

If you didn't like American Gangster don't bother with Clayton. My guess is you don't care for buildup and dialogue in movies. Stay home or go watch Rambo.

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highdough writes:
on Jan 19 2008 02:08 PM

Michael Clayton was definitely in my top five for the year. For those complaining it was boring, or it didn't have enough action, go see Transformers again. This movie is for adults. I was disappointed a little by No Country for Old Men. I thought it was good, but not the great film that I had been hearing. Same goes for Atonement. There Will Be Blood was better, but it's not on my top ten list.

As for George Clooney, I think he seems like one of the more down to earth stars. Apparently you know him well enough to make a judgement that he is a pompous a$$, though. Give him my regards.

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dystopiandweller writes:
on Jan 20 2008 11:16 AM

This is a good movie, for sure, but I say release There Will Be Blood (the best film of 2007 in my, and many other's, opinion[s]) on more screens, instead of re-releasing Michael Clayton.

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bigbrother writes:
on Jan 21 2008 02:40 AM

I gave this one a miss because from the previews I got the whole "haven't I seen this already?" For all the people who defend dialog, bravo to you, but I would ask is it good dialog? Because being dialog driven by itself is no endorsement of quality. Bad dialog is as subject to making a movie crappy as Bad action is. I just don't want to end up in the theatre watching 2 hours of C-SPAN dialog read by Ben Stein, which was kinda the feel I got from the previews on this.

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Baccus83 writes:
on Jan 21 2008 06:47 AM

I really enjoyed Michael Clayton. Kind of a 70s throwback. I wish there were more films like it. Great writing. Great acting. Great directing. An all-around solid film.

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mberko1 writes:
on Jan 21 2008 12:14 PM

In reply to this comment (#1488900)
American Gangster was much better than Michael Clayton. There was nothing thrilling about MC. It was watchable but not worth my 10.50 thats for sure. At best, its a renter.

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arj1un writes:
on Jan 21 2008 09:26 PM

Pls expand There Will be Blood from 25th Jan. The best movie of 2007.

(Reply to this)