Michael Clayton follows the title character, a "fixer" at a prestigious law firm, as he attempts to smooth over the the mid-deposition mental breakdown of his colleague, Arthur Edens (the fabulous Tom Wilkinson). Edens insists that the client the firm is representing, UNorth, is hiding some information that, if revealed, could not only loose the case but result in the ruination of the company. As Clayton tries to do his job, he discovers the dark underbelly of the UNorth corporation, which leaves him with a difficult decision to make.
The film features a good performance by George Clooney as Michael Clayton, and great ones by both Tom Wilkinson and Tilda Swinton, all three Oscar nominated. Swinton was the standout, as UNorth's general counsel Karen Crowder. She is able to give her character both a vulnerability and a toughness which prevents a character who might have been a one-dimensional villain from becoming inhuman.
It is difficult to classify Michael Clayton. It is largely a suspense/thriller, sure, but it does not rely on the usual elements of the genre: a shocking, 'you'll never see it coming' twist ending, explosions, guns, extended car chases sequences, a diabolical villain. Instead, it manages to incorporate the sensitive, emotional elements of the serious character drama. Writer/director Tony Gilroy tries to reach beyond the confines of the thriller by making a somewhat successful attempt to give his audience an in-depth, morally complex character map of Clayton. Although his portrait of Clayton is far from complete, we do receive a challenging protagonist to spend the film with.
Where the film, its title character, and Tony Gilroy himself are most successful is a single gentle moment, which, thanks to an effective structure, appears twice, book ending the long flashback which comprises most of the film. Clayton, driving down a gloomy, gray road, is provoked to pull to the side of the road and tentatively walk to the crest of a hill where three horses stand. This is a real-life recreation of a scene which appears in his son's favorite book, which also appeared in Arthur Eden's apartment. Horse and man look each other in the eye; there is obviously some kind of understanding passing between them. Seconds later, Clayton's car explodes. This moment is beautiful because it isn't just serendipitous; this is Clayton's redemption, his sign, his chance to do what he knows he should do. He doesn't just have to be a bag man. He can be his own man.
Although Michael Clayton is not a Hitchock-caliber thriller by any means, and there are several missteps that keep it from reaching its full potential, it is intriguing and challenging to watch. It reaches beyond genre convention to stimulate its audience on a cerebral and emotional level. It makes our hearts ache and our adrenaline rush. Perhaps after you've finished watching There Will Be Blood and No Country for Old Men, you may want to add Michael Clayton to your film queue.
