In some scenes, Clayton is the kick in the pants the whodunit genre desperately needs
Michael Clayton (2007)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
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... 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 behalf of a prestigious New York City law firm. A former litigator, Clayton has found a niche that capitalizes on his legal acumen and shrewd people skills, and yet, after 13 years on the job, finds himself increasingly disgusted with his clientele. The film covers four pivotal days of his life, in which a midlife crisis and a crisis of conscience neatly converge when he is called in to "fix" a situation unfolding in one of his firm's hottest cases. Brilliant lawyer Arthur Edens (another powerhouse performance by Tom Wilkinson), representing a huge agro-chemical corporation being hit by a class action suit, has a bipolar breakdown, compounded by guilt over his defense of a company that is probably in the wrong, but is wealthy enough to buy its innocence either way. The company's CEO (Tilda Swinton) will stop at nothing to keep Edens from sinking the case. Clayton must decide how much of Edens's mad rebellion against the company is sheer mental illness, how much is true, and how much it will cost him to do the right thing. Clooney delivers a rich performance as a hangdog and haunted man who wants to stay on the side of good, but is a little too skilled at moral margin-walking to make that an easy choice in every situation. Swinton glows as a secretly frail Amazon who somehow won't let a tortured conscience prevent her from getting ahead. The final third of the film is as suspenseful as any courtroom drama, without ever resorting to legal-thriller cliches. [More]
Starring: George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, Sydney Pollack
Starring: George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, Sydney Pollack
Director: Tony Gilroy
Director: Tony Gilroy
Screenwriter: Tony Gilroy
Producer: Sydney Pollack, Jennifer Fox, Steve Samuels, Kerry Orent
Composer: James Newton Howard
Studio: Warner Bros.
Reviews for Michael Clayton
The multiplex needs more movies where life, work, morality, and debt comprise the constellation of adult experience, unimpinged upon by concessions to youth audiences and unameliorated by any whiff of romance.
Erin Brockovich (2000) meets A Civil Action (1998), but featuring a flawed hero with blood on his hands and an ace up his sleeve.
Audiences, beware you will be drawn in by Clayton and will be wondering days later why films are not all this good?
What elevates it above the depressingly familiar storyline are the performances.
This is a tense thriller even if the basic plot turns out to be a little overly familiar.
Although we've seen many films about high-profile law firms versus the average Joe, watching Michael Clayton becomes more compelling every minute.
Confident in the story's power and the moviegoers' intelligence, Gilroy uses only one explosion to own our rapt attention.
Filled with wonderfully conflicted characters, Michael Clayton is a masterful legal thriller that never misses a beat. A true diamond in the rough.
A throwback to trim, intelligent moral thrillers like The Verdict and Absence of Malice.
Shot and edited well, featuring a large, talented cast, Michael Clayton should provide entertainment
This gripping jigsaw puzzle of a movie about ethics jump-starts our pulses, luring us into the world of corporate lawyers, big business and how the dirt gets swept away
It barrels through its formulaic story and clichéd elements with its outstanding cast leading the way.
...a good last scene can redeem a lot of tedium, and [writer-director Tony] Gilroy provides a doozy...
Michael Clayton is -- hands-down, no-question, make-your-toes-curl-with-a-creative-crush -- the absolute best, most surprising, most devastating performance Clooney has given us yet.
Gilroy has crafted a smart thriller that revolves around a corporate cover-up but doesn't burrow into hair-splitting details and stays away from cliché.
There's too much drag time in the beginning to say that this movie lives up to all the hype it's getting, but it is still worth going to see.
Latest 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...
More DVDs
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 15% 15% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- Michael Clayton at Rotten Tomatoes
- Michael Clayton at IGN
Fresh Links
Featured

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.





