Accomplished screenwriter and now director Tony Gilroy gives his audience a lot of credit. The brisk pacing and sometimes tricky subject matter of Michael Clayton demand that we pay attention lest we lose our way (I'm related to two people who couldn't keep up), but dedicated viewers are rewarded with an incredibly smart, wholly satisfying journey. As a bonus, we can even learn some subtle ins and outs of the legal racket along the way.
George Clooney--who for years now has been more concerned with the quality of his work than his title of Sexiest Man Alive, and it shows--conveys volumes with his eyes, or just a gesture. His titular legal eagle is a "fixer," not a litigator who goes to trial, but rather a go-to guy who solves a multitude of tribulations with his brains, his connections and his level head. In fact, this is an entire lawyer movie with no courtroom scenes, and yet it is very much about the practice of law.
Although she doesn't receive much screen time, Tilda Swinton brings a wild-eyed intensity as lead counsel for the defense, an agricultural company locked in a class action lawsuit suddenly spiraling out of control. She recently won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for the role, and deservedly so.
For an alternate take on the film, see resident film guru Joe Lozito's review of Michael Clayton.
The Picture
An unfortunate twitchiness plagues certain areas of the frame throughout the film, combined with a frequent softness and a lack of discernible detail in the blacks. These are the sorts of problems I would attribute to overcompression on a DVD, but I hate to use that word in the Blu-ray era, being as there are up to 50 gigabytes of space available. At least the faces are sharply focused: It is a drama after all.
The Sound
And so, this being a drama, the dialogue is key and it is clear enough, although I needed to play this movie's Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack at a significantly higher volume than usual for proper reproduction in my home theater. A sudden explosion is realistic enough; punchy, with resonance; and atmospheric nuances grace various real-world environments.
The Extras
The list is short but appropriate. The director provides commentary alongside his brother John Gilroy, the film editor, offering up lots of great stories. About six minutes of deleted scenes are also included with optional commentary, again with Gilroy & Gilroy. This is a great time to have the editor on-hand, to explain the cuts, although the scenes themselves are an overly wide, non-anamorphic presentation. C'mon, studios: This is Blu-ray, dammit!
Final Thoughts
Equal parts character study and legal thriller, Michael Clayton is an engaging, challenging tale, definitely worth watching a second time for the commentary.
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