Review of Michael Clayton

Introduction

This slow burn thriller, in which Clooney plays the title role, concerns the story of a `fixer` who becomes embroiled in a legal case with an agrichemical company who aren`t all that they seem. The film asks a lot of moral questions, and shows ordinary people in extraordinary situations, and the lengths at which they would go to, to get out of them.

It`s a straightforward plot, made more interesting by the proficient writing by the director. Written and Directed by Tony Gilroy, with Sidney Pollock producing and James Newton Howard on score duties, you`re in good hands. Gilroy even drags in his brother to chop the film, which he handles in a very sensitive and unfussy way. George Clooney plays a role that seems to have been written just for him, and is aided by a great supporting cast including Tom Wilkinson and Tilda Swinton.

In the US, the film is being re-released ahead of the Oscars race; whether there will still be demand for it, it`s yet to be seen. The film found some mild success on the big screen originally, but will undoubtedly fare better on the home entertainment market. To be fair, it`s probably better suited to the small screen and will undoubtedly drag in a brand new audience now the nominations have come out. I`d argue that it`s not worthy of a Best Picture Oscar over the likes of There Will Be Blood and No Country For Old Men, but it is the type of film that the voters love, so should do well on the big night.

Video

As good as I would assume a new film to look, I must admit I`ve been a little bit spoilt when it comes to image quality, having built up a decent HD collection. If anyone tells you that the difference between SD and HD is negligible, you have my permission to slap them in the face.

Judged purely on the SD DVD format, the contrast and blacks in general are spot on, and they need to be in a film that relies on the darkness and shadows to give it its moody noir-ish effect.

Audio

James Newton Howard refrains from giving us a sentimental and overbearing score, which works in the film`s favour. With a lack of intense sound design, this isn`t exactly a demo piece, but the audio bubbles along nicely, with the dialogue always being crisp and clear.

Features

Apart from the commentarys, the review disc (which I presume is the same as the retail) had no supplemental material apart from a few `coming soon` trailers and deleted scenes (which are mostly of characters who were totally omitted from the story). Having said that, it`s not necessarily a film where you desire to find out more about it. Though that`s not an excuse for the lack of features…

Conclusion

Gilroy, better known for a massive list of highly regarded screenplays (including all three Bourne films) takes the directors hat for the first time, and does an excellent job of juggling the main story and the numerous subplots. As you could expect, George Clooney is as reliable as ever; perhaps one of the only Hollywood actors that seems to have escaped from a classic bygone era. Without having to seemingly make too much effort, he`s always a delight to watch, and is totally believable as the lead character. Tilda Swinton is introduced in a marvellous scene, where she both practices and performs a presentation to a client, and is fantastic throughout. She`s an excellent foil in her own fragile way, to Clooney`s very masculine and demanding character.

Subplots involving a son, a brother, gambling (and debts) and his family life in general threaten to derail the intensity of the main story, but they are only ever mildly diverting and as such the film stays on course. There`s not a bad performance in the film, and even Tom Wilkinson (whose US accent is as corny as ever) is great in a difficult role.

It`s a film that desires your absolute attention, so don`t go into this expecting to switch the brain off. There`s some fierce scenes in both language and action; a key death scene is exquisitely shot, whilst being uncomfortable to watch in it`s all too realistic and almost trivial execution. Probably the highlight for me out of the entire film was the end credit sequence. Although that seems like an odd thing to say, the static shot of George Clooney, sat in the back of a taxi, is superb. Watch it, to see what I mean.

A great suspense thriller, with moments that really pull you in without tipping you onto the edge of your seat, Michael Clayton is a dark and clever film that succeeds in showing the evils of corruption.