Michael Clayton

2007 Drama

Michael Clayton (George Clooney) handles all of the dirty work for a major New York law firm, arranging top-flight legal services and skirting through loopholes for ethically questionable clients. But when a fellow "fixer" decides to turn on the very firm they were hired to clean up for, Clayton finds himself at the center of a conspiratorial maelstrom. Once an ambitious D.A., Clayton is now a shell of his former dynamic self, thanks to a divorce, an unfortunate business venture, and astronomical debt. Though he longs to leave the cutthroat, ethically dubious world of corporate law behind, Clayton's poor financial situation and devotion to firm head Marty Bach (Sydney Pollack) leave him little choice but to remain on the job and tough it out. Meanwhile, litigator Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton) finds her entire company's future hinging on the outcome of a multi-billion-dollar settlement overseen by Clayton's friend, star lawyer Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson). When Edens snaps and decides to blow the whistle on the questionable case, sabotaging the defense, Clayton must decide between his loyalty and his conscience. more..

Director: Tony Gilroy

Starring: George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson,Sydney Pollack,Michael O'Keefe

Reviews

  • I don't know what vast significance Michael Clayton has (it involves deadly pollution but isn't a message movie). But I know it is just about perfect as an exercise in the genre.

    Roger Ebert - The Chicago Sun-Times

    26 April 2013

  • It's better than good; it's such a crackling and mature and accomplished movie that it just about restores your faith.

    Owen Gleiberman - Entertainment Weekly

    26 April 2013

  • It's a rare film that can challenge our minds and rattle our nerves so profoundly. This is unequivocally a thriller for adults. A deftly written, tautly suspenseful and intellectually demanding morality tale.

    Claudia Puig - USA Today

    26 April 2013

  • Deliberate, demanding and character-driven, Michael Clayton flies in the face of what sells at the multiplex. I couldn't have liked it more.

    Peter Travers - Rolling Stone

    26 April 2013

  • Michael Clayton is about the gap between predatory professionalism and the sins of real life - about how those sins can corrode the hardest business suit of armor.

    Ty Burr - The Boston Globe

    26 April 2013

Awards

  • Movie of the Year

    AFI Awards (2008)

  • Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

    Academy Awards (2008)

  • Best Edited Feature Film - Dramatic

    American Cinema Editors (2008)

     
  • Contemporary Film

    Art Directors Guild (2008)

     
  • Best Supporting Actress

    BAFTA Awards (2008)