Michael Clayton - Re-release

“Michael Clayton,” starring George Clooney, is about a man who moves in the gray areas of life and who is forced to do the right thing. Michael Clayton (Clooney), an attorney for a large firm, is their fixer, the ‘go-to’ man when there are problems. He is most comfortable moving in the shadows and finding solutions that are just short of illegal, not to mention unethical. Michael’s friend Arthur (Tom Wilkinson), who has spent several years creating a defense for a giant agrichemical company, has a meltdown. As Michael investigates, he discovers that Arthur, instead of building a defense, has been building a case that supports plaintiffs’ claims that the company is responsible for several deaths. The chief counsel for the company (Tilda Swinton) maneuvers behind the scenes to smooth the way for her client. She embodies evil, but Swinton plays her with such bland ordinariness that it is hard to see that behind her mask lurks a woman with no soul. Clooney is at his best when his character struggles with his contradictions. Michael Clayton is not unaware of what is right and what is wrong, but somewhere along the way, he became so good at walking the line between that he has lost his way. So in a sense, this movie is about one character’s redemption. “Michael Clayton” is a well-written and well-acted drama that pulls you in and makes you think, even after the final credits have finished. (10/16/07)

"Michael Clayton" has received several Oscar nominations and all of them well deserved. Tony Gilroy certainly stands out for his original script and his directing. This story, that explores ethical behavior and what it takes to get one man to do the right thing, is original and thought-provoking. One can often argue that some actors always play versions of themselves. George Clooney does this is the "Ocean's" series. However, as Michael Clayton, Clooney provides a layered performance. I would hope that Tilda Swinton wins the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for her Lady McBeth-like performance of behind the scenes manipulation. And although Tom Wilkinson deserves to be nominated, my vote for Best Supporting Actor has to go to Javier Barden in "No Country For Old Men."