George Clooney's subtle, affecting performance is the chief reason to see this super-sincere social drama.
Comment
09/11/07
Michael Clayton (2007)
90
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:189
Fresh:170
Rotten:19
Average Rating:7.6/10
Consensus: Michael Clayton is one of the most sharply scripted films of 2007, with an engrossing premise and faultless acting. Director Tony Gilroy succeeds not only in capturing the audience's attention, but holding it until the credits roll.
Theatrical Release:28-09-2007
Synopsis: Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is what is known in the legal world as a "fixer," or in the character's own pejorative version, a "janitor" who cleans up legal messes for VIPs and corporations on... [More]
Starring: George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, Sydney Pollack
Director: Tony Gilroy
Reviews for Michael Clayton
Michael Clayton's only real shortcoming is its name -- seldom has a more complex and interesting story been given a simpler, less appealing title.
09/10/07
Michael Clayton is at its best when it sticks to hard-bitten, this-is-how-the-world-works scenes between employers and employees, fathers and sons, executives and lawyers.
09/07/07
Money hungry men in nice suits stopped being cool in 1982, and Michael Clayton doesn't do enough to bring it back again.
09/05/07
A brilliant debut by Gilroy, it takes its time to grab you but [then] keeps you riveted to the screen. No one should be surprised if it brings [Clooney] back to the Oscars.
09/04/07
Modeled after intelligent, character-driven paranoia-conspiracy melodramas of the 1970s, feature debut by Tony Gilroy, who acquits himself more impressively as writer than helmer, is compelling if also familiar.
09/01/07
Legal miracle workers or "fixers" hide simple truths behind a calculated barrage of extraneous smoke and mirrors, which is exactly the tactic screenwriter-turned-director Tony Gilroy employs for his directorial debut Michael Clayton.
09/01/07
[A] lack of fireworks makes Michael Clayton refreshing in a sense, eschewing traditional white hats and black hats for more realistic shades of gray.
08/31/07
Top CriticAs with the Bourne films, Gilroy has a knack for creating strong characters and situations that resonate with tension.
08/31/07
Top CriticLatest News for Michael Clayton
May 11, 2009:
RT Interview: Tilda Swinton on Julia
One of the most diverse and celebrated talents of her generation, the directors on Tilda Swinton's CV represent a veritable who's who of independent cinema and include David... More...
May 27, 2008:
Sydney Pollack: A Retrospective
With two Oscar wins and plenty more nominations under his belt, Sydney Pollack was a filmmaker that Hollywood admired. He was also a proven actor's director whose fruitful... More...
May 26, 2008:
Sydney Pollack dies aged 73
Academy Award-winning director, producer and actor, Sydney Pollack, dies aged 73. More...
April 11, 2008:
Script Review: Tony Gilroy's Duplicity 
Tony Gilroy's follow-up to Michael Clayton -- the Clive Owen/Julia Roberts-led Duplicity -- is filming now, and Latino Review is offering a review of the script. More...
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