Michael Clayton
Rent & Buy
A law firm brings in its "fixer" to remedy the situation after a lawyer has a breakdown while representing a chemical company that he knows is guilty in a multi-billion dollar class action suit.
What critics thought
Michael Clayton landed on nearly every major critic's year-end list for 2007 and has only grown in stature since, with the Writers Guild, Rolling Stone, and the New York Times all placing it among the best films of the century. Critics singled out Tony Gilroy's screenplay and the ensemble performances, though the film's deliberately quiet, procedural pace drew the occasional note that it trades adrenaline for atmosphere rather than delivering a conventional thriller.
“a morally alert, persuasively realistic and increasingly suspenseful melodrama, impeccably acted and handsomely staged by Tony Gilroy”
Richard Schickel·Time
“Gilroy's film is distinguished beyond its components by its purpose, its compassion, its interest—increasingly manifest—in the soul”
Stanley Kauffmann·The New Republic
“Michael Clayton is not an exercise in high-tension energy; you'll never confuse its eponymous protagonist with Jason Bourne. But it does have enough of a melodramatic pulse to keep you engaged in its story and, better than that, it is full of plausible characters who are capable of surprising—and surpassing—your expectations”
Time
“better than good, it just about restores your faith”
Owen Gleiberman·Entertainment Weekly
Accolades
Genres
Drama, Thriller, Crime
Cast & Crew
Tony GilroyDirector
George ClooneyMichael Clayton
Tom WilkinsonArthur Edens
Tilda SwintonKaren Crowder
Sydney PollackMarty Bach
Michael O'KeefeBarry Grissom
Ken HowardDon Jeffries
Sean CullenGene Clayton
Merritt WeverAnna
Robert PrescottMr. Verne
Terry SerpicoMr. Iker
David LansburyTimmy Clayton
James Newton HowardComposer
Robert ElswitCinematographyMichael Clayton
A law firm brings in its "fixer" to remedy the situation after a lawyer has a breakdown while representing a chemical company that he knows is guilty in a multi-billion dollar class action suit.
What critics thought
Michael Clayton landed on nearly every major critic's year-end list for 2007 and has only grown in stature since, with the Writers Guild, Rolling Stone, and the New York Times all placing it among the best films of the century. Critics singled out Tony Gilroy's screenplay and the ensemble performances, though the film's deliberately quiet, procedural pace drew the occasional note that it trades adrenaline for atmosphere rather than delivering a conventional thriller.
“a morally alert, persuasively realistic and increasingly suspenseful melodrama, impeccably acted and handsomely staged by Tony Gilroy”
Richard Schickel·Time
“Gilroy's film is distinguished beyond its components by its purpose, its compassion, its interest—increasingly manifest—in the soul”
Stanley Kauffmann·The New Republic
“Michael Clayton is not an exercise in high-tension energy; you'll never confuse its eponymous protagonist with Jason Bourne. But it does have enough of a melodramatic pulse to keep you engaged in its story and, better than that, it is full of plausible characters who are capable of surprising—and surpassing—your expectations”
Time
“better than good, it just about restores your faith”
Owen Gleiberman·Entertainment Weekly
Accolades
Genres
Drama, Thriller, Crime
Cast & Crew
Tony GilroyDirectorGeorge ClooneyMichael ClaytonTom WilkinsonArthur EdensTilda SwintonKaren CrowderSydney PollackMarty BachMichael O'KeefeBarry GrissomKen HowardDon JeffriesSean CullenGene ClaytonMerritt WeverAnnaRobert PrescottMr. VerneTerry SerpicoMr. IkerDavid LansburyTimmy ClaytonJames Newton HowardComposerRobert ElswitCinematographyRent & Buy