In “Michael Clayton,” the depths of the corporate world hit the screen with fierce exposition and enunciated realism. Being a thinker’s film, it never fails to intrigue the mind and raise many questions throughout its calculated narrative. Having been nominated for seven Oscars, three of which are for acting, “Michael Clayton” seems to be a shoo-in for its high quality entertainment and powerhouse performances. Even with all its recognition, the film hinges on more than just sheer talent.
For the first notable performance in Michael Clayton, the great face of Hollywood, George Clooney, plays the pivotal title role with hard-boiled ease. Known around the office as the “fixer”, Clooney’s Michael Clayton faces the greatest challenge of his career. His task begins when his firm falls into a multimillion dollar settlement gone terribly wrong. As it turns out, that problem is their own brilliant attorney, Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson), who has just had a bipolar meltdown during a hearing. With what first looks like a lunatic’s medication-deprived sabotage, questions arise surrounding a suspicious global company, U/North. Much to Clayton’s surprise, a conspiracy begins running deeper than he ever imagined.
In the role of the bipolar attorney Edens, Tom Wilkinson sparks immediate attention. Since all the questions seem to point back to him, Edens may have been on the trail of a conviction that would put his firm on the wrong side of the playing field, and his client, U/North, in some serious legal trouble. Gathering even more importance in a more personal impact, Clooney depicts a character who is burnt out, on the verge of abandonment, and fighting a life-consuming addiction of gambling. It’s a performance that shows how any job can derail someone, but it is furthermore about how far a person will reach to get everything back.
In all its clever tactics, the story of “Michael Clayton” unfolds with skillful discipline, leaving no room for the normal Hollywood redundancies. Its provocative and unconventional storytelling will undoubtedly keep your mind working at full capacity. “Michael Clayton” is an extremely complex slow burner that climbs to the end of its fuse, electrifying a culmination of all its talents. Ultimately, its plot will rack your brain, but it substantially keeps you involved more than any other film to surface this year.
Four stars out of four
