So let’s dive in. The past few weeks have presented a deluge of serious movies as everyone starts polishing up their Oscar speeches and prepping for awards season. First up (on my list), is Michael Clayton, starring the lovely George Clooney. Of the three I’m discussing this week, this was the one I’d most recommend to you all. It’s got action and some moral complexity; ...
...don’t let the commercials convince you that it’s all about the big bad chemical company. That’s a given from the get-go; what’s interesting here is how working for said company, either as a corporate officer (Tilda Swinton) or part of the law firm representing them, erodes the character and moral standing of the people involved. At the outset we meet Clayton trying to clean up after a big-money client’s hit and run; he’s jaded, rundown, and pretty much fed up with this role. Things get started when the eponymous Clayton is called in to clean up the mess left when a colleague (Tom Wilkinson), the lead council defending the chemical company against a class action suit, loses it in a meeting, strips down naked, and starts chasing the plaintiffs through the parking lot. As the story goes on, you can wonder whether he’s gone crazy or finally found his sanity, but the real question is whether Clayton will go out on the limb with him, or protect his own, and the corporation’s asses. Clooney is damn good as Clayton, bringing a world-weary charm to the role that adds depth and veracity to what could otherwise be a sketchy character. You can see how he would be good at the job he’s got, but also how it’s eating him away inside. And Tilda Swinton is fantastic as the corporate attorney who seems unable to stop herself, even as she visibly suffers from the random swings of her moral compass.