Michael Clayton

In the face of George Clooney's convincing warrior face and James Newton Howard's emotional tones, I may feel guilty with my assessment, but any saving idea, warning finger, or suffocating statement drowns in the inarticulate and yet unnecessarily entangled boredom, which minute by minute increasingly flows towards an unsurprising conclusion. (21/08/2008)

Tony Gilroy. Another in a row of quality screenwriters who let himself be lured into the director’s chair. He wrote a screenplay for himself that focuses on a fascinating topic dissects the psyches of the (a)moral protagonists and that is sophisticated and intelligent. Many mention its similarity to Syriana. It reminds me more of The Firm or Coppola’s Interview. Everything in this movie urges the viewer to try to be a step ahead of Clayton’s investigations. What is the strongest side of this movie? Is it that outstanding screenplay? Or is the truth that sell-out bitch played by Tilda Swinton who long ago smothered any hint of conscience inside her? Or is it Tom Wilkinson and his character who, conversely, is resuscitating his conscience at the end of his career? Or is it George Clooney in the role of the lawyer “Mr Wolf who takes care of bothersome problems" who has experience, ability and, primarily, knows what people are like? Not forgetting that perhaps it is the precise direction. In the end, you reach the conclusion that Michael Clayton has no strongest side. All of his sides are in an unusual symbiosis and serve one single purpose. To make a good movie. And it worked, although it has a fault. And that is the ending which is just ordinary. It’s not bad, not stupid, not illogical. Simply what we’ve already seen so many times before. And in view of the fact that the movie is overflowing with hints, the unsaid, a parallel with a story for kids and even some metaphors, this is simply disappointing. But a niggling feeling that somewhere deep inside the finale there is “something more" provokes a desire to watch it again, after which it will hopefully be possible to give it full a set of stars. Because it just can’t be possible that the result could be so... ordinary. P.S. A month after seeing Gilroy’s debut at the movie theater, I can’t get it out of my head and so I gladly give it full marks. (17/01/2008)

Clayton is like a snowball slowly collecting more and more snow as it rolls on. The beginning is rather boring (despite being polished and realistic), but with added color from the precise background music by James Newton Howard. Clooney is great as usual and Gilroy is too good to let you switch off, and that’s good... at the end all the loose ends tie up nicely. I'm not the guy you kill, I'm the guy you buy! Are you so fucking blind that you don't even see what I am? I'm your easiest problem and you're gonna kill me? (22/05/2011)

Michael Clayton was a completely different movie than I originally expected. No lawsuits, no flashy crime story with a shocking final reveal, but a perfectly sober and precise drama with amazing performances. I'm not so much talking about George Clooney, who once again performs to his classically high standard and is more than convincing as a stubborn negotiator suspecting a great deception, but in particular about the deranged Tom Wilkinson and his tiresome monologues, and the lawyer Tilda Swinton, who perhaps still carries a piece of the evil queen from Narnia. And even though I was quite sceptical at first and the plot seemed far-fetched, the slowly unravelling story gradually drew me in and I really enjoyed the final part. Tony Gilroy has made a low-key but very subtle film that is one of the pillars of its genre... (29/08/2012)

I will not give the highest rating to Clayton, as it is too cold and distanced, but otherwise, it is a thoroughly professionally made and impressive film about the evil in legal and business circles, the power of money, and the unfulfilled ambitions of one unscrupulous manager. The film has a clear storyline, convincing motivation for its characters, an excellent acting cast, and corresponding top-notch performances. In short, it is a world-class film. It is no coincidence that one of the producers was the director of the legendary thriller Three Days of the Condor. Overall impression: 80%. (11/12/2011)