Michael Clayton

"I'm not the enemy."

"Then who are you?"



****

Very economical, stylized and well acted backroom legal film about the dirty work that gets done in the biggest law firms in the land. George Clooney is once again very good as a sort of ‘cleaner’ who goes in and handles his firms client ‘emergencies’…damage control if you will from behind the scenes. But when he is asked to ‘help’ with a particular case, Clayton is forced to take stock of what he is doing, and what he might become. However, it is the performance of Tilda Swinton, who deservingly picked up the Oscar for best supporting actress, that really gives the film its dark tinge. You can feel the anguish and torture this woman is going through throughout the film…and are right there with her at the end.

Perhaps a little over hyped…but not by much. If you liked Syriana, Good Night and Good Luck, or legal movies like Fracture, or watch Law & Order, and don’t mind a film that moves at a slower pace, then you’ll probably enjoy this film as well.