Heartthrob George takes on a role worthy of awards talk
By KEN TARR I Special to the Daily Press
This is a given: The high-stakes world or big-business law firms and corporate malfeasance is not exciting. However first-time director Tony Gilroy (screenwriter of “The Bourne Identity” trilogy) does build up quite a bit of tension in this film about a legal “fixer” Michael Clayton (played by George Clooney) forced to prevent disaster when his mentor Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson) turns into a loose cannon when defending a big-business case.
Although not everyone who sees this film will appreciate what is at stake, many will be intrigued by the multi-layered plot and stellar performances. The plot jumps around as well and withholds many key details till the satisfying conclusion. The story barely held my interest at times. However, I knew a major pay-off was coming and the ending is very much worth the wait. Tilda Swinton (”The Deep End”) costars as the corporate villain here. By virtue of her being a woman in this high-risk world, the audience trusts her until we realize that everything she says and does is tangled corporate-speak and that while there is not murder and mayhem at every turn, her character, Karen Crowder, is a dangerous one to cross.
Written and directed by Gilroy, this film could have infused some more character development but Clooney is able to reveal quite a lot about Clayton’s personality in the best performance of his career. At times powerful, at times scared and at times one the verge of giving up completely, we feel bad and most importantly feel Clayon’s vulnerability and sense of being unfulfilled. Sydney Pollack is also effective as the law firm’s kingpin, Marty Bach, a man who is equally villainous and amoral as he uses Clayton and the law to evade what is morally correct.
This film was executive produced by Clooney, frequent collaborator Steven Soderbergh and the excellent writer-director Anthony Minghella (”The English Patient”) for reasons I am not so sure of. While this film is successful at what it is, it is by no means ground-breaking. They must all see some real talent in Gilroy, and he is definitely given a venue to shine here, absent of murders and explosions. “Clayton” will hold your interest after a good cup of coffee. The performances are most memorable and hopefully the film will get some awards attention as well, especially for supporting actor Tom Wilkinson. His portrayal of a frenetic, genius, off-balance corporate attorney is entirely unique. Clooney, in between his entertaining “Ocean’s” popcorn films is able to turn in fine performances and is great in this film. The film could have used a little more intrigue and excitement, however, but as it is, it is still worth recommending.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 27, 2007. Read the original PDF.