Being a bit of a fan of Mr Clooney and having heard Oscar-worthy performance whisperings, I decided to take myself to see Michael Clayton on opening day at out local cinema. I love going to the movies in the daytime when everyone else is at work. Popcorn and a row all to myself, no whisperers or seat-thumpers in the row behind, and I'm a happy camper.
If you haven't heard, Michael Clayton is a legal thriller...although I think "thriller" is taking it a bit far. I'd call it legal drama, because this is a movie about character rather than plot. The movie tagline (see poster): The Truth Can Be Adjusted. A cool soundbite but not an accurate enacpsulation of the movie theme IMHO.
The setting is a corporate law firm, but Michael Clayton (Clooney's character) is a "fixer" not a litigator. A garbage man, as it were, who's sent in to fix up messy situations. He's damn good at his job, but not so good at fixing his own life. When a bipolar colleague who's defending a chemical firm against a huge class-action suit develops a conscience, Clayton is sent to fix the ensuing mess. He ends up with tough decisions to make about ethics and loyalty, and you're not sure until the last scene which choice he'll make.
I liked it--really liked it a lot--but I suspect plenty will find it too slow-paced and the plot not challenging enough. To me it was all about character, with the plot and the situations Clayton/Clooney comes up against all aimed at working that character arc. So I reckon it's a movie writers will love. Not one for the action buffs, no romance at all, you need to watch and listen and absorb. I need to see it again to work out the point of some of the scenes and character interactions and motifs; I reckon I missed significant detail even though I watched as hard as I could.
Four and a half stars.
Labels: movies
posted by Bronwyn Jameson @ 5:55 PM
