MICHAEL CLAYTON

Michael fuckin’ Clayton.

That’s what I was thinking walking out of this movie. Michael fuckin’ Clayton.

There are a few reasons I go to see a movie. Most of the time, it’s because the ads looked good and I like most of the people involved. Some of the time, it’s purely because I’ve heard good buzz (which is why I can highly recommend King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, but it’s gone from everywhere now). Some of the time, it’s because it’ll be up for a lot of awards and I like to have an opinion on such matters. And sometimes…not often, but sometimes…I’ll go purely on the quality of the cast. Often, such things matter, but sometimes, some very few, very rewarding times, that’s all I’ll have. I won’t know a damn thing about the plot, I may not have even seen the trailer.

Such is the case with Michael Clayton. I saw the trailer months ago, never saw it again and can’t tell you a thing about it. I saw some TV ads that conveyed nothing beyond “EXPLOSIVE acting.” And someone mentioned Tom Wilkinson is ridiculously great. But I went because it stars George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, and Sydney Pollack, and is the directing debut of screenwriter Tony Gilroy, who wrote the fantastic Bourne series of films. And besides that, I knew NOTHING.

And God damn is it great. It’s an incredibly entertaining, adult-oriented, fast-paced film made up entirely of conversations (okay, there’s one explosion, but it’s not as out-of-place in a legal thriller as one would expect…also, I’ve been describing way too many films as “made up entirely of conversations” way too often these days), all surrounding a lawsuit against a company called U/North, which had a bit of problem with its product causing disease. But it’s a thriller, so there’s murder and payoffs and espionage and Tom Wilkinson (one of the best actors, hands down) as a half-crazy-but-maybe-he’s-onto-something senior partner in the firm that employs one Michael Clayton (George Clooney) as their fixer.

I can’t say enough good things about George Clooney, I really am incapable. Right now, he's one of the few people you can genuinely qualify as a movie star - can do anything he God damn pleases, and he's great he everything he does. In the middle of slowly becoming a damn great director in his own right and being one of the finest comedic actors of our time and the coolest guy on the planet in the Ocean films, he stars in a legal thriller by a first-time director and delivers a really great performance.

But he ain’t got nothing on Wilkinson. The film opens with Wilkinson’s narration and you just know, man, you KNOW you’re in for a powerhouse of a performance. And even though this film is absolutely electrified with great performances (half the joy of this movie comes from watching these fantastic actors go head to head scene after scene), the voltage just gets cranked every time Wilkinson is onscreen.

All of this is helped, of course, by Tony Gilroy’s fantastic script. Armageddon aside (for which he was one of like twelve credited screenwriters), I’ve only seen his work on the Bourne films, but really, what more do you want? The guy’s a fantastic screenwriter, and really elevates films that you go into expecting “just entertainment.” Not only does he have a fantastic main plot to play with, but he gives Michael a great subplot that has nothing at all to do with the main plot. With a character as rich as Michael, he’s bound to have more than just this big lawsuit going on. And he does. He has a LOT of other commitments that don’t force themselves in to make that point, but they’re all just there as part of his life. And as a result, you get an even richer character. Budding screenwriters (hell, even seasoned screenwriters) can learn a lot from this script.

So really, if you’re not drawn in by committed, electrifying performances (overused term, I know, but the synonyms for it are “thrilling, exhilarating, stirring, stimulating, and moving,” and they’re all just as bad or just plain wrong) in a solidly-constructed script with great dialogue, I dunno what to do for you.

Still, go support The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford first because it’s getting dumped (there’s no ad support for that thing, so check local listings frequently) and it’s a really cinematic, big-screen movie and Michael Clayton would be just as solid on the small screen, but do not forget about this movie. ‘Cause it kicks ass.