LEGAL EAGLE: CLOONEY AS CLAYTON
Please excuse the discombobulated nature of this review. Though I won’t go so far as to label it half-ass, my heart and focus is down in Southern California, and my usual delight in the trivial has lost its luster for the time being…
I used to watch ER, but more for Nurse Hathaway (Julianna Margulies) than Dr. Doug (George Clooney). My first real introduction to Clooney was on The Facts of Life, when he sported that lovely mullet. I was instantly drawn to his charisma, though I honestly never pictured him as the old-fashioned movie star that he has become.
I am amused by the journalists who are obsessed with Clooney’s box office bankability. The man has risen far above his reign as People’s Sexiest Man of the Year. Yes, he’s pretty. And yes, those Ocean’s movies are entertaining man candy, but I don’t think that Clooney receives the respect he has earned. The man won a Best Supporting Oscar (Syriana), for crying out loud. Out of Sight and Three Kings were damn good too. And his work behind the camera is also quite impressive; Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and Good Night, and Good Luck are very good films.
Look, I’m not saying that all Clooney films have been golden. I did sit through Solaris and The Peacemaker. As much as he was critically panned for those and his stint as Batman, I admit to being drawn to a film when his name is attached. And frankly, I don’t care who Clooney dates or where he lives. While most admire him for his looks, I am far more interested in his body…of work.
With that, I am happy to report that Michael Clayton is actually a great film. This corporate/legal drama features fantastic performances by an all-star cast and more than enough unexpected plot twists to keep your attention for two hours. Screenwriter Tony Gilroy makes an impressive directorial debut. He is quite familiar with and successful at creating a palatable onscreen intensity; he penned the suspenseful Dolores Claiborne and all 3 Bourne films.
Tilda Swinton should have been nominated for Best Actress back in 1992 for Orlando. She certainly deserves a Best Supporting Actress nod this year for her role in Michael Clayton.
Although British actor Tom Wilkinson entered the American filmgoer consciousness in The Full Monty, he had been acting for twenty years prior (I first enjoyed him as Mr. Dashwood in 1995’s Sense and Sensibility). Of course he went on to earn a Best Actor nomination for In the Bedroom, but I highly recommend that you rent Normal, which I consider to be his best work yet. And I wouldn’t be surprised to see him up for Best Supporting Actor for his memorable role in Michael Clayton.
This movie reminded me that Sydney Pollack should spend more time in front of the camera. As much as I love the films that he has directed (Absence of Malice, Tootsie), I really like him as an actor as well.
Denis O’Hare has perfected the character actor genre. While he is quite capable of being a lead and some may scoff at such an assessment, I intend it as a compliment. And he has added another small yet pivotal role to his collection in Michael Clayton. Of course my favorite O’Hare appearance was as Albert the Ark Man in Garden State. I am also enjoying his clash with Calista Flockhart on Brothers and Sisters. O’Hare is actually a Tony-award winning Broadway man (Take Me Out).
Michael Clayton is what I would call an intelligent thriller. Though some may prefer to watch this kind of film at home, I believe it is worth a trip to the theater.
Comments