Michael Clayton
2.5/4
Starring: George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, Sydney Pollack, Sean Cullen
Rated R for Language including Some Sexual Dialogue
When I saw "Michael Clayton," I couldn't make heads or tails of it. It was so densely written that one had to be a MENSA member to figure it out. I watched it a second time tonight, and I was surprised at how clear it actually was (although I still didn't get everything). And while I find it to be well acted and compelling, I can't recommend it.
Michael Clayton (Clooney) is a fixer for the law firm of Kenner, Bach and Ledeen. He deals with the firm's dirty business and makes sure that their clients don't have anything that could screw up their cases. For example, in an early scene, one of their regular clients has hit a pedestrian with his car, and Michael goes to the man's house to tell him what to do. Michael hates his job, but as his boss Marty Bach (Pollack) points out, he's good at it. He's going to need all of his skills to deal with his new problem: his friend and co-worker, Arthur Edens (Wilkinson), has had a mental breakdown in the middle of a deposition hearing for a $3 billion dollar lawsuit involving an agricultural company called UNorth. Michael has to get Arthur back on his medication, but Arthur has become extremely paranoid, although maybe not as much as Michael thinks. Meanwhile, he's facing pressure from a member of UNorth's legal team, Karen Crowder (Swinton). Karen, and the rest of UNorth, is growing restless and she wants this taken care of by any means possible. As if that weren't enough, Michael is bankrupt and owes $70,000 to some shady people as a result of an investment with his brother that went south.
The acting is solid. George Clooney is a good actor who can do well whether or not his star power is necessary. This isn't a flashy role, but Clooney's reputation and presence make it easier to make it through the muck of the plot. It's not his best performance, but it's up there. Tom Wilkinson is reliable as always, playing the paranoid manic-depressive Arthur Edens. Arthur is a supporting character, and being the consummate professional that he is, Wilkinson doesn't try to steal the spotlight from Clooney. Tilda Swinton won an Oscar for her performance as Karen Crowder, and she's very good, but she's been better (although in less widely seen movies). The late Sydney Pollack is also very good as Marty.
Tony Gilroy has been a strong screenwriter ever since he hit it big with the uneven but charming romantic comedy "The Cutting Edge." He has become known for turning Robert Ludlum's "Bourne" series into movies. Here, he shows that he is an intelligent man and a terrific writer, but his vision exceeds his skill. Things get too complex for the film's own good (his attempts to make a fantasy book into an important metaphor/plot device are feeble). It's also about ten minutes too long. But it is well made and acted. But the question is, did I feel satisfied after watching it? Sorry, Tony, but no.
Starring: George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, Sydney Pollack, Sean Cullen
Rated R for Language including Some Sexual Dialogue
When I saw "Michael Clayton," I couldn't make heads or tails of it. It was so densely written that one had to be a MENSA member to figure it out. I watched it a second time tonight, and I was surprised at how clear it actually was (although I still didn't get everything). And while I find it to be well acted and compelling, I can't recommend it.
Michael Clayton (Clooney) is a fixer for the law firm of Kenner, Bach and Ledeen. He deals with the firm's dirty business and makes sure that their clients don't have anything that could screw up their cases. For example, in an early scene, one of their regular clients has hit a pedestrian with his car, and Michael goes to the man's house to tell him what to do. Michael hates his job, but as his boss Marty Bach (Pollack) points out, he's good at it. He's going to need all of his skills to deal with his new problem: his friend and co-worker, Arthur Edens (Wilkinson), has had a mental breakdown in the middle of a deposition hearing for a $3 billion dollar lawsuit involving an agricultural company called UNorth. Michael has to get Arthur back on his medication, but Arthur has become extremely paranoid, although maybe not as much as Michael thinks. Meanwhile, he's facing pressure from a member of UNorth's legal team, Karen Crowder (Swinton). Karen, and the rest of UNorth, is growing restless and she wants this taken care of by any means possible. As if that weren't enough, Michael is bankrupt and owes $70,000 to some shady people as a result of an investment with his brother that went south.
The acting is solid. George Clooney is a good actor who can do well whether or not his star power is necessary. This isn't a flashy role, but Clooney's reputation and presence make it easier to make it through the muck of the plot. It's not his best performance, but it's up there. Tom Wilkinson is reliable as always, playing the paranoid manic-depressive Arthur Edens. Arthur is a supporting character, and being the consummate professional that he is, Wilkinson doesn't try to steal the spotlight from Clooney. Tilda Swinton won an Oscar for her performance as Karen Crowder, and she's very good, but she's been better (although in less widely seen movies). The late Sydney Pollack is also very good as Marty.
Tony Gilroy has been a strong screenwriter ever since he hit it big with the uneven but charming romantic comedy "The Cutting Edge." He has become known for turning Robert Ludlum's "Bourne" series into movies. Here, he shows that he is an intelligent man and a terrific writer, but his vision exceeds his skill. Things get too complex for the film's own good (his attempts to make a fantasy book into an important metaphor/plot device are feeble). It's also about ten minutes too long. But it is well made and acted. But the question is, did I feel satisfied after watching it? Sorry, Tony, but no.
Comments
Post a Comment