Michael Clayton (2007) April 13, 2008
Posted by gproject in : Recently Viewed , trackbackDirected by: Tony Gilroy
Some may argue that the rise of Tony Gilroy has been coming for some time, but it was only truly cemented last year by two strong pieces of work that lead to the utmost praise and critical applause. While co-writing the screenplay for The Bourne Ultimatum (a franchise he has been with since the start) was the project that set box-offices alight over the summer, it is in fact this low-key character drama that displays his true talent. As writer and first time director, Gilroy has managed to create a film that saw him personally nominated for Oscars in both categories, as well as for Best Picture. An astounding achievement and one that raises the profile of this worthy feature to a level that almost implies pending disappointment.
Its titular character is a typically flawed man, both well regarded as a problem fixer for a major law firm and troubled by his own financial problems as well as those of his brother, whom he must bail out from a loan shark. But he still has work to do, so when Arthur Edens, one of the firm’s top litigators, takes a dramatic turn and falls into a questionable mental state, Michael is called in to take control of the situation and make sure that the years-long case is not lost. The task comes with more danger than usual, however, with the underhand dealings of a large corporation putting Michael’s life at risk, as he delves deeper into their true motivations.
Sometimes described as a ’slow burner’, in reality there are much slower dramas out there. Try watching something like The Good Shepherd [review] before commenting on what constitutes as a slow burn, because Michael Clayton is quite adept at forwarding its plotlines, be it the investigation into Arthur Edens trauma, or Clayton’s own personal problems. Where I think where the distinction lies is that the film can be somewhat quiet, rather than slow, utilising a ‘less is more’ sensibility when it comes to the action-oriented moments. This is a dialogue-focused movie though, and there’s nothing wrong with that when it’s done with the intellectual class and grounded sense of character shown here.
It did, in some ways, feel like the only best picture nominee from last year without a gimmick - Atonement and There Will Be Blood [review] have their period setting, No Country for Old Men [review] has its bleak, drawling Texan landscape, and Juno [review] has its independent underdog status. Michael Clayton, on the other hand, is just a drama about regular people trying to get through a set of problems and make it out the other side as unscathed as possible. Everyone has an agenda, but nobody is a superhero, even Clayton whose ‘best in the business’ reputation is questioned by his own personal struggles. For a fixer, he could benefit from turning those talents to his own life.
The humanity in the character of Michael Clayton is brought home by a good performance from George Clooney, whose natural charisma certainly lends itself to a person who is supposed to be instantly relatable but still coolly intimidating. It is Tom Wilkinson, however, who provides the strongest performance as the mentally disturbed Arthur Edens. He skilfully keeps the moments of madness and rationality at a balance, and gives just enough unhinged logic to the role that you remain undecided as to how affected he has become by his illness - exactly what the story needs to keep up its sustained intrigue. The film also features Tilda Swinton as the morally broken businesswoman whose desire to keep her job ends up compromising her respectability as a human being. Luckily Swinton has a fragility that makes her character’s comedown all the more believable, and shows up the other strong characters, including Sydney Pollack as the head of the law firm Clayton works with, for the questionable souls they are.
The overall strength of the acting is in no doubt apparently, with Clooney grabbing an Oscar nomination for best actor, while Wilkinson and Swinton received well-deserved nominations for supporting actor and actress. For those who are counting, that’s six nominations so far, but there is a seventh - to James Newton Howard for the film’s stirring original score. Even though only Swinton would go on to win, you don’t get seven nods lightly, so Gilroy can rest assured that his simple but effective cinematography and confidence in his actor’s abilities has paid off. His script too, is notably grounded and presents a story that jumps the complicated intricacies of his Bourne movies [review] for a more down to earth, but still intellectually provoking, piece of thriller fiction. You have to give the guy props - there is plenty to enjoy during the two-hour running time.
It’s not flawless, but the problems are few compared to many in the genre. You might find yourself questioning the flash forward opening, or becoming confused by some of the ill-explained plot - Clayton and the horses comes to mind first. The ending too is a paradox; brilliant but at the same time a little formulaic - I still can’t make up my mind because the ambiguity in the Michael Clayton character is presented such that you don’t quite know his intentions, and yet the actual process that occurs has been done a million times before. Still, the film left me with a smile, not least because of the inventive way they handle the end credits. For Tony Gilroy, it’s hard to believe he could go up from here, although if all the attention helps more people to see how good a standard, dialogued-driven, modern day drama can be if handled properly, then he has little to lose. It will inevitably be labelled as ‘over-hyped’, but that’s not to say that it should be under-appreciated.
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