KEY POINTS:
Herald rating: * * * *
Michael Clayton is the directing debut of screenwriter Tony Gilroy, hot off his script work on the Bourne trilogy and attracting award nominations for him and star George Clooney.
It might be that Hollywood fixture, the legal thriller, but it's one of those rare mainstream films that doesn't feel the need to explain everything about characters or plot, allowing it to unfold over the movie's duration while giving enough information to keep you informed and intrigued throughout.
The plot itself is actually rather simple but Gilroy's elliptical structure starts the film almost at the end of the story before flashing back to the beginning, which might make it feel smarter than it really is but, more importantly, keeps you wondering how it all might end.
George Clooney stars as Michael Clayton, a lawyer in a large, corporate, New York firm Kenner, Bach and Ledeen whose job is that of in-house fixer. Part-cop, part-lawyer, part-henchman, Clayton is burnt out and fast becoming disillusioned with his job. But with an ex-wife and kid, a gambling habit and debts from a failed business venture with his drug addict brother, he's financially tied to the firm.
When one of the company's top partners, who has spent years working on a multimillion-dollar lawsuit defending an agrichemical company has a breakdown, he threatens to sabotage the entire case. Clayton is called in to get him back on track but discovers that brilliant litigator Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson) might not actually be as mad as everyone thinks he is.
As well as Wilkinson, Clooney has another fine supporting turn from Tilda Swinton as the company's in-house counsel. As usual, Swinton is captivating as a seemingly meticulous and ambitious career woman dedicated to her job and driven by fear of failure.
Clooney does a sterling job as the conflicted Clayton, a man who is intelligent, charming, convincing and threatening, but also weary and worn down by what life has thrown at him.
Though its seven Academy Award nominations might be excessive and the film is too long, Michael Clayton is still a punchy mixture of a corporate drama and action infused with an exploration of individuals in turmoil, as each character examines the line between personal ethics and getting the job done.
Cast: George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Sydney Pollack, Tilda Swinton.
Director: Tony Gilroy.
Running Time: 120 mins
Rating: M (violence & offensive language).
Screening: SkyCity, Hoyts and Berkeley Cinemas.
Verdict: Legal thriller that proves Hollywood can still churn out quality entertainment. Clooney just gets better with age.
