Michael Clayton

Screenwriter Tony Gilroy (the Jason Bourne films) makes his directorial debut with this sophisticated corporate thriller about a "fixer" at a high powered law firm named Michael Clayton (George Clooney) who might have finally met his match. A billion dollar private company that manufactures a potently toxic weed killer is trying to weasel their way out of responsibility for the deaths of numerous people that were unknowingly poisoned by their product. The company's legal council (Tilda Swinton) has remained superficially collected (though internally frazzled) but the head of its defense team (Tom Wilkinson) has buckled under the pressure of fear and guilt. He starts gathering information against the company and seeking to argue the plaintiff's case instead. Soon enough his loose cannon behavior has the firm seriously worried, causing them to dispatch Clayton to reel him in.

It's true that much of what transpires in Michael Clayton feels a little familiar, maybe a little contrived. Much too much comes with the slight pinch of implausible, "only in a movie" dramatics. That being said, the execution here is flawless. Gilroy's as promising a talent to emerge as a director in the thriller genre since The Bourne Supremacy turned Paul Greengrass into a serious thrill ride visionary. Gilroy rises above cliche by creating dynamic, visually complex frames that play with perception and visibility. There's never been more chilling use of the old fashioned off screen sound gag. Gilroy very often settles the film into a calm pace just before unleashing the most dangerous perils. We watch Clooney calmly perusing documents only to be startled by the click of a cocked pistol emerging out of what seems like nowhere. Perspective and manipulation are constantly in the air which greatly suits the themes of the film and helps to intensify the sometimes ponderous plot.

It's also a great strength that Gilroy is finally coming out from behind his serviceable work as a wordsmith. Here he lets his imagination wander and comes up with some of the most rhythmic, intoxicating, and punchy dialogue in any recent thriller. He writes here without fear of being accused of pretentiousness, letting his full potential finally come to light. Together with the all around superb performances, Gilroy's talents raise what might have been just an ok thriller into something exciting and greatly enjoyable

Grade: B+