Michael Clayton

George Clooney is on a short list of actors who I’ll see in most movies. I start to believe that he is that character (maybe not Batman) and you get sucked into the movie. I loved him in Syriana, Oceans 11, Out Of Sight and From Dusk Till Dawn.

I had to see Michael Clayton! I thought there was way too much hype. The first article I read about the movie was all about the Oscar Clooney was going to get for this role. That’s always a red flag for me. Some of these movies that are nominated for Academy Awards are sometimes good movies, but not fun to watch. Clayton was an exception.

This films starts Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson) strips off his clothes in a deposition. Clayton (George Clooney) is sent in by the firm to clean up the mess and help hold his friend together. Edens has spent the six years defending a $3 billion lawsuit against a new agrochemical company U North. After being convinced that his friend has just been off his meds. Clayton starts to realize that maybe he’s not really crazy at all. Maybe some of the gibberish that was coming out of his mouth actually meant something.

Tom Wilkinson is great as the crazed man who’s come to his senses. He plays the crazy role so well. Everything from buying large amounts of French bread to his obsession with a children’s book and making the connections with the case.
Clooney is amazing as well. His character has so many layers. You see his frustrations with the firm, his family life, his relationship with his son, even his gambling problem. As the movie moves forward, you begin to see how the corruption gets to him. There is a sense of realism too it. He reminded me of myself in some ways. A company man who’s doing his job and trying to get his stuff together. Trying to have a healthy balance between his family and finances and work. That’s most people in America who struggle with striving to be “well off” and having to manage that with the relationships they have.

My suggestion: Check out Michael Clayton. Not a “feel good” movie, but is a mature movie (no not like that) and is a harsh look at corporations and how they may work. It’s what one of my co-workers would call a “shot of reality”.