the audience applauded

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Michael Clayton (2007) is a real piece of art, it hits every note spot on. There are certain things that I look for in a film, things i believe they must have in order for it to be a success. I look for correct casting, quality performances by the members of the cast, good script, and a satisfactory filmmaking style that fits that specific film. I can say with confidence that Michael Clayton fits the bill on every single thing I mentioned. Clooney gives a good performance as he always does, as does the ever talented Tilda Swinton (this was her Academy Award win). If you ask me, Tom Wilkinson comes out on top here as far as acting goes. He gives a fierce passionate performance. Wilkinson is a fantastic actor and he absolutely nails it here as a very crucial character in the plot. The script moves everything along at a fairly good pace, not too slow, and not fast either. I liked the pace and thought the runtime of two hours suited it well. towards the end things kinda speed it up, in an appropriate way, because everything is coming to a point. I loved the way they chose to end the film. It was raw and very dramatic, made for a grand finale to an exciting well done piece of art. 9/10 for Michael Clayton.

Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is a 'fixer'. He fixes other people's messes. If he can't do it himself, he knows who to get in touch with. In a gangster film, he might have been a 'cleaner', removing the stench and debris of a hit once a job took place. The movie actually has a couple of cleaners who double as electronics experts and private detectives. They're not nice guys, they can be persuaded to take out anyone if the price is right, as long as there's no ambiguity in the assignment.This is a finely woven story, intricately plotted and told in somewhat of a flashback style until prior events catch up with real time right after Clayton's car is blown up. I don't understand the reviewers who claim that they couldn't follow the story, it's actually laid out pretty well. I've said it before, sometimes paying attention goes a long way. This film is certainly not as complex as Clooney's 2005 film "Syriana", so if you had trouble with this one, don't even bother with the earlier picture.One thing I didn't get though, and I WAS paying attention, was why Michael would have sicced his eight year old son on Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson) to instruct him in the Conquest role playing game. That didn't connect with anything, other than Arthur's own descent into delusion while refusing to take his medication. Also, I thought the story line could have done a better job of fleshing out Arthur's relationship with Anna (Merrit Wever), one of the U/North plaintiffs. Did Arthur see her as a romantic interest, or was he solely disgusted with the cover up of U/North's toxic culcitate and the lethal damage their clients were exposed to? In the end I guess it doesn't matter, but it might have explained his paranoia a bit better.On a personal level, what I found particularly interesting were some of the filming locations which were used in the environs outside New York City. That view of the overhead rail trestle near the spot where Michael stopped to view the horses is along a stretch of country road near Salisbury Mills, New York; it's known as the Moodna Viaduct and serves as a commuter and transport line. The house where Michael's brother Gene (Sean Cullen) lived is located in the Worley Heights section of Monroe, New York, about a ten minute drive from the trestle. And director/screenwriter Tony Gilroy slipped in a reference to Washingtonville Central as the place where Michael Clayton went to high school, but it's his own Alma mater! All are located in Orange County, New York where I've lived all my life, so that was like getting a bonus while watching a picture that was already entertaining on it's own merits.

"Successful white men in thrillingly unique situations, starring George Clooney performing ordinary acts like pressing car alarms or having stare competitions with his costarring, monologuing actors." Is a clearer,more edited title, if there be a soul,dwelling on our shared rock whizzing through infinite dim unknowns, has a pinch of curiosity to thy above summary. A summary that, in my worthless opinion, encapsulates this two hour background nose for my grandma who can't fall asleep without a television within twelve feet of her. Bright Points! It is a interesting complex, carefully complicated, Hollywood built script; but with 2007 Hollywood comes all its districts, embarrassingly blatant jelly rolls. What I mean by this is mainly based off the films white washed cast, headed by Mr.A lister, George Clooney, as his salt & pepper sexy self, but this time he's "fixer" with some deep down feelings behind his big beautiful soul windows! For whatever reason just about every character is built with their own outer brash confidence, shown through intense star downs and hard monologues that everyone totally kills. Last words: Interesting story, if you want to get into it, but don't be in a rush to throw "Michael Clayton" at the top of your watch list.

I saw "Michael Clayton" again today probably for the 20th times. This film has amazed me of the right balance, timing, touch, probability, possibility, and still continues to be a wonderful piece of storytelling at my 20th viewing. The premise is most simple, bordering on a soap opera plot. A gray-area guy wakes up against the corrupt and evil surrounding he used to be all right with. He gets to the bottom of his personal and professional life, and wants to crusade against all the wicked hands that feed him. The central theme here is anguish, which I do not know any worldly and sane person not to have. It is a story of greed, money, betrayal, violence, and self-doubts. A few secrets of this film's success, as far as performances go, I believe, are the followings: 1) the likable nature of George Clooney's character 2) the absolutely non-penetrative nature of the character of Tilda Swinton 3) the wonderful madness of the character of Tom Wilkinson 4) the cold-blooded charm of the character of Sydney Pollack. These four main players are with realism and acting internalization. The director Tony Gilroy must have been a great explainer to get all the characters understand inside-out of what they are, aren't, up to, and not up to, otherwise it would have led to shallower performances. I think it is rare to find a film enable us to understand and take a strange compassion towards the so-called "bad guys" (in this case, including one very bad girl). The reason is that everyone operates in fear and instability. No one is God and no one is Satan by design. "Michael Clayton" becomes the film's title because the bucks stop here. You can follow his final departure from the Grand Ball Room to the escalator and into a taxi, whose driver is instructed to "just drive for the $50's worth", and you can judge if Michael Clayton of the world can continue to be a shock absorber for them all, being Gods or Satans. My opinion is: it is a worthily meditative ending of a worthy film.