|
|
Home > DVDs
Michael Clayton (Widescreen Edition)
Features :
AC-3
Closed-captioned
Color
Dolby
Dubbed
DVD-Video
Subtitled
Widescreen
NTSC
Directors :
Tony Gilroy
| Release Date: |
19 February, 2008 |
| Manufacturer: |
Warner Home Video |
| Availability: |
Usually ships in 24 hours |
| List Price: |
$28.98 |
|
|
|
|
|
George Clooney's performance drives this tense corporate thriller from Bourne trilogy screenwriter James Gilroy, who makes his directorial debut here. Clooney is the eponymous "hero," a burnt-out lawyer who cleans up legal messes created by the clients of a large law firm. When a crisis materializes in the form of the firm's top shark (Tom Wilkinson) suffering an apparent meltdown while defending a shady chemical company from lawsuits, Clayton discovers not only a cover-up to deny payments to farmers injured by the company's products, but a chance to find some purpose in the face of his life's downward. Clooney (who also co-produced the film) brings soul and quiet determination to his beleaguered character, and there's excellent support from Wilkinson, Sydney Pollack (also a co-producer), and Michael O'Keefe; Gilroy's script also does a solid job of stacking the deck against Clayton as he attempts to ferret out the truth behind the cover-up. Unfortunately, the film settles for a pat conclusion that, while emotionally satisfying, feels forced and delivers an overly simplistic message (corporations can be bad; morally questionable work can make one feel dirty). And Tilda Swinton is wasted in a thankless role as the chemical company's nerve-wracked and unsympathetic legal counsel. Still, Clooney fans will appreciate this fine addition to his growing roster of flawed heroes. -- Paul Gaita
 Customer Reviews 
The quiet side of greed.
Rating: 5
In a room full of crazy people a tainted man finding redemption is bound to go unnoticed [talking Oscars here], but Michael Clayton is a near perfect film and well worth seeing. Full of wonderful performances, evil is a timid mouse nibbling cheese in a corner, ever mindful of the cat, not a sociopath or a megalomaniac, the resident crazy is Shiva, and so well done it is an amazement. The tainted man, Clayton, finely played by Clooney in a multi-layered performance, is a man living a life of personal wrong choices. When he makes his stand against the horrifyingly wrong choices, inevitable in a soulless but ever greedy corporate world, he goes out as he came in, aware and doomed. Shiva he is not, but, at least once, he got to carry the trident.
Legal Thriller with George Clooney
Rating: 4
Michael Clayton brings a legal thriller about a corporate cover up, a manic depressive lawyer, and the firm fixer played by George Clooney and Academy-Award winning actress for her role in this film Tilda Swinton as a hard nosed in house Counsel. Lots of dark places and complications about the nature of unwinding a cover up and the dangers of the truth.
Legal Thriller With Plenty of Oscar-Worthy Performances
Rating: 5
This smart thriller from Tony Gilroy is one of the best films in 2007. An all-star cast includes George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, and Tom Wilkinson who are all nominated for acting Oscar. I am especially impressed with Swinton and Wilkinson who radiate in their challenging roles. Clooney plays the main character, Michael Clayton, with panache and delivers one of the best scenes in the end. The fight of the everday man against a large argiculture chemical company probably resonates quite closely with "Erin Brockovich". However, this storyline has more action and character development of both the good and bad guys. Overall, I would rate this film alongside with "The Insider".
The DVD has less extras than would be expected. The deleted scenes do not seem to add much to the film. There are commentaries over the movie and the deleted scenes if you have the patience to listen to people talk over the scenes. I would have expected that with such a film that more interviews and making of the film to be added to this DVD.
|
|
|
