Michael Clayton
Michael Clayton belongs in the hallowed halls of the Dad Movie Hall of Fame. Specifically, it would go in the Mark Castle Memorial Wing. Michael Clayton would be lovingly placed next to Heat, A Man and a Woman, and The Upside of Anger.
All joking aside, I think the reason my Dad loved this movie was because of how Michael wrestles with his conflicts in trying to save his skin or do what’s right. It’s these character arcs I feel that appealed to him. To quote another DMHOF entry, The Godfather, “Women and Children can be careless, but not Men.” I feel like that is a philosophy both my Dad and Michael carry. At least my Dad thinks he did. It’s become a running joke in our family that we call the movie Mike Malone because my Dad kept getting the title mixed up.
Tony Gilroy’s directorial debut is a well-made thriller with three great performances and a tightly knit story. The movie looks stunning, thanks to Robert Elswit (who also shot There Will Be Blood.) Somehow, the grey winters and the shadows that envelop the film in a comfort akin to a summer day. The music by James Newton Howard is hauntingly beautiful. Weirdly, the music that scores a U-North commercial fits so well with Arthur recording one of his tirades.
I think the biggest area that I struggle with Clayton is the legalese. Maybe I’m just not that intelligent, but as soon as they go into details about the merger and settlements and so on, I tune out. These white-collar thrillers must have some credibility. I wouldn’t force Tony Gilroy’s hand and frankly, I don’t think he would.
The best part of this movie is the three main performances. Whenever George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, and/or Tilda Swinton are on screen, the film captivates you. Clooney holds his own as a leading man akin to Paul Newman. Funny in some of his movies, deadly serious in the others, Clooney is a movie star who can act. His strongest appeal as an actor is the persona. The voice, the presence, and the mannerisms that the audience love is still there. The best scene that comes to mind is the beginning where he explains to a man behind a hit and run who he is. Don’t Worry, I will mention the final scene when I get there.
Tom Wilkinson’s performance as Arthur Edens is one of the great supporting roles. Arthur is a lawyer who develops a conscience. Arthur has fallen in love with a woman in a class-action lawsuit against U-North for a carcinogenic that has killed 468 deaths. If the movie were called Arthur Edens, it would be easy to see Arthur as Howard Beale from Network. Both characters go mad and see themselves as fighting against a powerfully corrupt entity. And like Peter Finch, Wilkinson is captivating to watch. The best scene that comes to mind is when Michael finds Arthur in New York and confront each other.
As great as Clooney and Wilkinson are, the best performance comes from none other than Tilda Swinton as Karen Crowder. I know people would first remember her as The White Queen in those Narnia movies, but it’s Clayton that makes her a household name. She beat Cate Blanchett for Best Supporting Actress. As I’m writing this, I haven’t seen I’m Not There, but I think it’s safe to say that Swinton deserves the gold. Frankly, she always deserves at least a nomination for almost every movie she has been in since.
What makes Swinton’s performance as Karen so compelling is how uneasy she is doing her job. In that uneasiness, a cold-blooded streak runs through her. She may not be comfortable with ordering hitmen to kill Arthur and Michael, but she follows through with it. That last scene where she and Michael clash for the last time is such a satisfying scene to watch and break down.
After watching Michael Clayton, I feel like Michael and just need to sit in a cab that’ll go anywhere. Just decompress and look out the window.
