breakfastcowl

Michael Clayton

Went through the series Andor here recently (probably the most conversationally interesting Star Wars has been for me in ages) and got the hankering again for Gilroy's full on sweep of the legal & corporate worlds. Tom Wilkinson, you had me at "patina of shit"

midvngxnce

Michael Clayton

SO GOOD. great screenplay, so locked in from the beginning with the tight pacing and script. Clooney and Tilda Swinton were great

bartmanbilly

Michael Clayton

94/100 I think corporate thrillers might be my favourite genre of films, I’ve watched a select few and every one of them would make my top 50 all time. I’ve kept this film downloaded for so long because I knew Tony Gilroy demands your attention, every work that he makes is a masterclass in writing and there’s a lot of writing, a lot of dialogue that you need to wrap your head around to understand what is happening and what is about to happen. I’ve raved a lot about Andor as I believe it to be the best TV Show of this decade and some of the finest television ever made, it’s where writing meets sci-fi, it’s where you take a fictional world and cast down your reflections of the real world in a manner that is very clear in its messaging but not quite explicit. It asks your better sense of judgment to analyse and infer what you are witnessing, it’s the best combination of serious themes and genres we’ve gotten in a very long time.  Now what Michael Clayton does is paint this dirty side of the corporate cartel that we know happens, we just never see the investigation out in the open, it’s all “settled” and buried away by sponsored articles and authorities. The term settled is the sole reason for why the world’s gone into shit, everything every crime every action has a price that negates it and while the impact never goes away to those associated with it, capitalism ensures the ones committing the acts never have to suffer. It ensures people like Arthur “miraculously” died of suicide, it ensures victims never talk about the case ever again and sometimes, it’s just minnows that we never even knew about who disappear off the face of the Earth and nothing makes a difference because no one knows enough to give a shit and those who do are victims of capitalism themselves. Michael Clayton is Tony Gilroy’s critique into what we live off, we see him running around trying to gather the funds and at any point, he could’ve done anything but the beauty of those horses saving him is really just the answer to the question, in the end, what keeps you sane is something that you see without a distraction and fortunately that something cannot be achieved or gotten with money, it’s everywhere in every environment, you just have to step out and maybe die once in a while to understand what it is you’re really looking for, you’ve got these people you’re tied to, these people you gotta look after and sure they make you happy and sure you’d wanna do right by them but ultimately, every man just wants some peace and unsurprisingly that comes at the helm of singularity, no words are needed to describe what that moment of reflection makes you feel but you will know you when you’re there. For all the dialogue and corporate espionage and “fixing” what this movie really sells is a man who’s done a lot of immoral shit just trying to do the right thing for once, just escaping that cult of capitalism and trying out what people call “the way of the heart.” The only time this falls short is at the expose leading up to the stage finale which is a touch of a miracle and not the good kind but otherwise an excellent film with impressive performances from everyone and so immaculately written, the cold tone was beautiful and added this charm which sold the film to me within 15 minutes.

BelugaJames

Michael Clayton

It’s perhaps overplayed how well written this is, but it’s really phenomenal. Clooney is absolute perfection as well. Such an assured and well measured film.