DVD Review: "Michael Clayton"

Tony Gilroy's directorial debut "Michael Clayton" has all the makings of a muckraking political message film-- evil corporations, corrupt lawyers, a class action lawsuit and, of course, George Clooney. But, for all of the chances the film had to stand upon a soapbox and beat the audience with it's message, thankfully it didn't. The movie is a taut, engaging conspiracy thriller, with just enough action to keep things interesting.

Clooney's titular Michael Clayton is a lawyer, whose main responsibility at the prestigious law firm for which he works is to be what is known as a "fixer." In short. he's the guy who makes problems disappear. When the senior partner (Tom Wilkinson) at Clayton's firm has a mental breakdown, the multi-billion dollar class action lawsuit he is negotiating is endangered. Clayton is asked to step in and neutralize the situation, by any means necessary, long enough for the case to be settled, avoiding a costly and scandalous trial.

The film was expertly acted by all involved. Clooney was, well just what he always is-- himself. His range is not exactly on par with the rest of the cast, but he's good as the subdued, disenchanted Clayton. Tilda Swinton and Tom Wilkinson both earned their respective Oscar nods the hard way-- by giving truly great performances. My only quibble with Swinton was that her accent did slip out through most of her dialogue heavy scenes. What impressed me the most about the film is how first-time director Tony Gilroy was able to sustain such high levels of intrigue and suspense through to the very last frame. Known mostly as a screenwriter, Gilroy's direction definitely makes his future projects something to keep an eye out for.

And, incidentally, I found the poster/ad campaign for the film (shown above) to be one of the best of the year. So simple, yet very effective. And I should also mention, this film should have won the Best Original Screenplay Oscar, hands down.

Score: 3.5 out of 5