George Clooney plays former prosecutor Michael Clayton who works as a "˜fixer' to the corporate law firm Keener, Bach & Ledeen. Taking care of their "˜dirty work,' Michael has done it all. Though tired of his job, he is tied to the firm and is forced to take care of everything ranging from wives and politicians to hit and runs and press control. On the other side of the spectrum is in-house chief counsel Karen Crowder whose career rests on the settlement that Kenner, Bach & Ledeen is leading to a seamless conclusion. When litigator Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson) has an apparent breakdown and attempts to sabotage the case, Michael Clayton is sent in to try and control the problem. What Clayton is not aware of, is that this task will lead him to discover not only what he is really doing but the man in which he has become.
Though it does tend to drag, especially in the middle, Michael Clayton is a suspenseful ride into the wars of "˜under the table' corporate dealings. Combining stellar acting, superb direction and movie saving music, the film excels and proves to be a great, entertaining watch.
The film starts off in a somewhat confusing way "“ and rightfully so. I can't think of the last Clooney film (with the exception of the star packed
About Stephen Davis
I owe this hobby/career to the one and only Stephanie Peterman who, while interning at Fox, told me that I had too many opinions and irrelevant information to keep it all bottled up inside. I survived my first rated R film, Alive, at the ripe age of 8, it took me months to grasp the fact that Julia Roberts actually died at the end of Steel Magnolias, and I might be the only person alive who actually enjoyed Sorority Row…for its comedic value of course. While my friends can drink you under the table, I can outwatch you when it comes iconic, yet horrid 80s films like Adventures in Babysitting and Troop Beverly Hills. I have no shame when it comes to what I like, and if you have a problem with that, then we’ll settle it on the racquetball court. I see too many movies to actually win any film trivia contest, so don’t waste your first pick on me. My friends rent movies from my bookcase shelves, and one day I do plan to start charging. I long to live in LA, where my movie obsession will actually help me fit in, but for now I am content with my home in Austin. I prefer indies to blockbusters, Longhorns to Sooners and Halloween to Friday the 13th. I miss the classics, as well as John Ritter, and I hope to one day sit down and interview the amazing Kate Winslet.
