Review: Top-notch team delivers must-see ‘Clayton’

Directed by: Tony Gilroy

Starring: George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, Sydney Pollack, Michael O’Keefe, Ken Howard

Rated: R

As a screenwriter, Tony Gilroy has worked on the “Bourne” trilogy and “The Devil’s Advocate.” The latter is part of a relatively new genre, the legal thriller. “The Firm,” “The Verdict,” “The Client” and even “A Few Good Men” fit into the category.

“Michael Clayton” is Gilroy’s first outing as a director. He wrote the screenplay as well. While the film falls into the legal thriller realm, Gilroy wisely and adeptly reaches back to some classic films of the 1970s for his template. It’s obvious he’s studied the work of Alan Pakula (“The Parallax View,” “Klute”) and Sidney Lumet, especially Lumet’s “Network.” Tom Wilkinson’s character in “Michael Clayton” is a spiritual descendent of Peter Finch’s Howard Beale, who screamed, “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore,” in “Network.” Wilkinson’s cry is every bit as pertinent now as Finch’s was then.

Gilroy found great company in his production team (George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh are involved), and the quartet of lead actors takes the film to a level the material deserves.

For my money, Wilkinson’s character, Arthur Edens, is the linchpin, and Wilkinson deserves a supporting actor Oscar. Clooney, who is always great playing cool dudes like Danny Ocean, has never before given life to as complex a character as Michael Clayton. Tilda Swinton as the ice-queen lawyer with the agrichemical giant U-North (think ADM) ties the viewer’s stomach in knots. And Sydney Pollack, the director who is also an A-list actor, embodies the role of the head of a law firm who knows his company defends scum, but also knows scum has deep pockets.

The story unfolds in a somewhat nonlinear fashion. It begins just before what is ultimately the final act and flashes back to four days earlier and runs linearly thereafter. Gilroy’s choice of this mode, as well as his enormous amount of character development, makes the film more than the usual sit-back-and-enjoy-the-ride Hollywood mainstream movie. “Michael Clayton” needs some attention and thought.

Clayton works for a high-power/high-dollar law firm as their “fixer” or “janitor.” When there’s a mess – as with a client in the opening scene of the film – Clayton comes in to clean things up. He straddles the line between legal and illegal and blurs that line even more when it comes to morals.

Clooney as Clayton lets the viewer know early on he’s tired of his job and wants out. But he’s also $75,000 in debt from a failed business deal, has issues with his young son (divorce mess) and is battling a gambling addiction.

Clooney drops his affable charm for this role and exudes anxiety as Clayton.

The film opens with a voiced-over phone message from Edens, Michael’s longtime friend and mentor. Edens is obviously upset. He’s a manic-depressive and has recently quit taking his meds. He’s spent the greater part of the last decade working on one case for the firm: Defending U-North in a class-action lawsuit brought about by surviving members of families affected by the agribusiness’ allegedly carcinogenic chemicals. At a deposition involving a young girl who has lost her parents to cancer allegedly caused by these chemicals, Eden strips to his socks, proclaims his love for the girl and goes running through a snowstorm in Milwaukee. Most of the incident is on videotape.

The firm has to put this incident under the rug and Clayton is the man for the job.

Meanwhile, U-North’s chief counsel Karen Crowder (Swinton) is trying to spin Eden’s meltdown to gain the company some much-needed breathing room. Even though she and everyone at U-North know that the allegations they have been facing are true, they do, after all, have a duty to their shareholders.

What few people know, at first, is Eden holds a trump card. He has an internal memo from U-North admitting fault, and he’s planning to turn the tables and side with the plaintiffs. Just ask the local quick-print place. Clayton does.

No one, not the firm and especially not U-North, can allow this to happen. Crowder very calmly and coolly puts into action solutions that are as cold as any mafia don’s orders.

As Clayton tries to get Edens back into the fold and back on his meds, his personal life is quickly falling apart. The action takes place in a mere four days, but Gilroy goes so deep with plot and character development, most viewers of typical Hollywood fare will assume weeks are going by.

The final showdown between Clayton and Crowder is a cinematic joy to behold.

“Michael Clayton” is a complex (but not necessarily overly complicated) film that isn’t afraid to demand attention from its audience. Gilroy doesn’t write or direct down to the public, and the actors all seem to know they are dealing with top-notch material.

It’s really one of the best films of the year and will be welcome for a second viewing when it’s released on DVD.

Jim Wunderle owns Wunderle Sound Services and is a Springfield freelance writer and musician. He can be reached at info@wunderlesound.com.[[In-content Ad]]