Grade: B-
Synopsis: An attorney (George Clooney) for a high-dollar law firm has a crisis of conscience when he’s called in to “clean up” a mess involving a billion dollar class-action suit.
Michael Clayton is a smart, confident movie. I’m just not sure how good it is. Yet.
This isn’t a John Grisham adaptation. There are no last minute plot-twists, or ridiculous heroics on the part of the protagonist. Instead, this is a very believable, yet engaging story of the amoral nature of corporate law.
While Clooney is good in the lead, something about him just doesn’t feel right. Maybe he’s too nice, or too well groomed, but I couldn’t help feeling that this character should look harder, more worn around the edges. It’s a nagging feeling, but not a deal-breaker.
The deal-breaker is that I’m not sure how well Michael Clayton will hold up to repeat viewings. The dialog, plot and performances are all very conservative. So much so, that I don’t know what’s left to savor the second time around. Time will tell on this front, but I suspect the years will be either very kind or very harsh to writer/director Tony Gilroy’s film, with no middle ground.
Bottom Line: A smart, confident adult drama that’s perhaps a bit too conservative for its own good.
