 |  | | | | | | ©2008 Warner Bros. Pictures | These days, when politicians, businesspersons and professionals are often willing to mortgage their integrity for ambition and profit, Tony Gilroy's "Michael Clayton" reminds us of the moral and psychological cost involved.
Gilroy, known for being the main screenwriter for the "Bourne" series, delivers a film of intelligence and genuine interest in its characters, more of a character study than a thriller.
In one of the best and most nuanced performances of his career, George Clooney is Michael Clayton, a "fixer" for the prominent New York law firm Kenner, Bach & Ledeen.
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| The divorced and disillusioned Clayton, who reminded me of the world weary Sheriff Ed Bell from "No Country for Old Men," is not a trial lawyer but a "janitor" who is sent to clean up the firm's dirty linen, a go-to guy who smoothes things out for wealthy clients who are in a jam.
A dark presence, Clayton carries around the weight of his personal compromises and of being passed over for a partnership despite being with the firm for 15 years. Burdened with debts from a failed business and choked by a gambling habit, he has not had to pause and take stock of what his life is about -- until an assignment from the firm's head, Marty Bach (Sydney Pollack), begins to open his eyes.
Marty assigns Michael to restrain Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson), the lead attorney defending an agribusiness giant named U/North. Edens has become aware of incriminating evidence against the conglomerate, which has been accused in a class action suit of poisoning farmers with its pesticides and causing the deaths of 450 people. He opens the film off camera with a deranged monologue in which he sees himself covered in filth and engaged in the destruction of humanity.
Having stopped his medication for bipolar disease, the corpulent attorney has a breakdown in front of a deposition, causing great embarrassment to the firm, which was anticipating a favorable settlement of the $3-billion lawsuit. The settlement had been eagerly anticipated by U/North's counsel Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton), a calculating and rigid attorney.
Clayton is carrying out his assignment in return for the $80,000 he needs to hold off his creditors. He is pursued by thugs hired by Crowder, who fears the failure to produce a settlement will damage her career.
Although hard to follow at the beginning, once "Michael Clayton" hits its stride it becomes a riveting ride. As the cynical Clayton finally comes to grips with what he has become, the film delivers a stunning payback.
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