Michael Clayton Review

Michael Clayton
***--

Michael Clayton is what he is, and you can say just about the same for this movie of the same name. The man is the best at what he does. In fact, he is exceptional at it. The only problem is, no one is exactly sure what that is. In his words, he's a "janitor." He cleans up the legal mess others leave behind.
The film follows it's subject, Michael, as he is given the task of dampening the flames spurred by his former friend, and legal juggernaut, Arthur, who previously caused a significantly uncomfortable uproar at a deposition meeting and now threatens to make a very profitable and quiet case very public.
Michael Clayton is a legal drama. It is straight from the hardcover bindings of a Grisham novel. I myself have never been much interested in legal dramas, and as such am somewhat unable to provide a review which would be helpful to those who are. What I can say is that I liked Michael Clayton, the movie and the character. In fact, it's easy to say that what I liked best about this film are all the characters. They are brought so vibrantly to life by such vivid and exciting performances. The movie is filled with notoriously great actors such as the brilliant Tom Wilkinson, who in this case opens an entire Pandora's box of emotion through the course of the film. Without them the entire experience would have been an entirely forgettable experience.
Unfortunately for me, the film remains only slightly above that. While the performances are engaging, the dialogue tightly written, and the cinematography expertly handled, I know that after a couple weeks I will have completely forgotten about Michael Clayton. It's a shame, because it really is a fine film. It just is barely recognizable to me. However, I would still highly recommend seeing it. The film is highly intelligent and is immersing. Ten dollars worth might be a stretch, but a weekend rental is a definite thumbs up. Wait for it.