Solid, complex character study from the team that's single-handedly championing the genre. This one finds the ever-improving George Clooney as a legal "fixer".
Comment
10/03/07
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
161 - 180 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
When critics complain about the dumbing down of movies into franchise popcorn, what we're really doing is yearning for a terrifically engrossing, tethered-to-the-real-world drama like Michael Clayton.
10/03/07
Michael Clayton literally knocks its brains out trying to be clever, but it ends up being the same kind of smart-alecky filmmaking most of Mr. Clooney’s movies are famous for.
10/03/07
Hipster filmmakers keep looking backwards to the 1970s, hoping to disguise how ill-equipped they are to deal with contemporary social issues.
10/03/07
While in the theatre seat -- I had a great time -- didn't want the film to end. But, when it did end, the aftertaste wasn't as sweet.
10/03/07
Deliberate, demanding and character-driven, Michael Clayton flies in the face of what sells at the multiplex.
10/03/07
This, ladies and gentlemen, is a Movie Star.
10/02/07
There's sincerity in Gilroy's belief in man's aptitude for recognizing the error of his ways, as well as in his acknowledgement that realignments of one's moral compass often require great application.
10/02/07
It will no doubt be said time and again of Michael Clayton: best John Grisham adaptation ever.
10/02/07
An engrossing, character-driven, multi-layered legal thriller.
10/02/07
Michael Clayton builds to a fitting conclusion and doesn't need surprise twists or cheap theatrics to get to that point.
10/02/07
So: the crazy people are the truly sane ones. Does this sound more like a complex 70s thriller or a dizzy 60s dream?
10/01/07
Clooney looks a little worn, and the shagginess becomes him. He gives a beautiful, modulated performance, and he’s never been more likable. Nor has he ever had better lines.
10/01/07
Clooney is as good as he has ever been.
10/01/07
Melodramatic in tone, complex in thought, this 'Clayton' is a thinking person's John Grisham.
09/29/07
So bogged down in plot that it has little in the way of suspense.
09/29/07
...a very effective first effort from a promising new filmmaker.
09/18/07
...the kind of smart, crisp, 'serious' mainstream entertainment that gives Hollywood (or the part of it influenced by George Clooney) a good name.
09/18/07
"Michael Clayton" is an up-to-the-minute allegory about the devastating power and malicious intent of a corporation that conceals its unethical actions with television commercials featuring close-ups of verdant nature.
09/13/07
Tightly plotted, expertly acted, Michael Clayton is a challenging, satisfying corporate thriller
09/13/07
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...
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