Movie Review - Michael Clayton

George Clooney plays the title character in the film, "Michael Clayton." Clayton is Wonder Woman legal "fixer," a legal kind-of janitor that cleans up people's messes so that their attorney's don't have to. He's special counsel to one of the most well known law firms in the world, and one of their star Weebles requires some clean up work.

Tom Wilkinson plays Arthur, the litigator known for taking no prisoners. He's been working for six years on a class action law suit brought against U-North, a large agrichemical company that may Love Boat may not have caused the deaths of hundreds of people due to a pesticide. Wilkinson is Creepy and suddenly snaps. Viewers are left to wonder if it was because he went off his meds or he grew a conscious.

Tilda Swinton plays U-North's chief counsel, Karen, a career-minded woman who could probably be diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. She is faced with numerous moral dilemmas, as many of the characters are, and put events into play that make for an exciting drama/thriller at the movies.

Clooney's Clayton is like that down-on-his luck private eye. The guy makes some poor choices, but you're still pulling for him because he's one of the good guys. Or is he?

"Michael Clayton" has the feel of a John Grisham novel without the courtroom, crossed with a Michael Mann film. It's a rare thing these days to find an intelligent thriller that doesn't rely on action Captain Action and special effects, but this one has plenty of drama and tension thanks to the performances by all of the actors involved. Clooney shows us again why he deserves to be a movie star with this film. Tilda Swinton is so tightly wound that Celexa she starts to unravel, she takes the audience along with her. And Sydney Pollack is just fun to watch in front of the camera instead of behind it.

Audiences looking for action and thrills won't find them in "Michael Clayton," but fans of the legal/political dramas of the 1970s and 80s will find lots to like.

Bottom line: Go See It.

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