Michael Clayton (2007)

Regisseur:

Tony Gilroy

Drehbuchautor (WGA):

Tony Gilroy (written by)

Premierendatum:

12. Oktober 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Krimi | Drama | Thriller

Werbezeile:

The Truth Can Be Adjusted

Plot:

An attorney known as the Fixer in his law firm comes across the biggest case of his career that could produce disastrous results for those involved.

Plot Keywords:

Mercedes Benz | Manhattan New York | Receipt | Dysfunctional Family | Arrest

Filmpreise:

Won Oscar. Another 10 wins & 50 nominations

Nutzerkommentare:

A realization of the possible justice

Besetzung

Tom Wilkinson	...	Arthur Edens
Michael O'Keefe	...	Barry Grissom
Sydney Pollack	...	Marty Bach
Danielle Skraastad	...	Bridget Klein (voice)
Tilda Swinton	...	Karen Crowder
George Clooney	...	Michael Clayton
Wai Chan	...	Chinese Dealer
Alberto Vazquez	...	Player #1
Brian Koppelman	...	Player #2
Thomas McCarthy	...	Walter (voice) (as Tom McCarthy)
Denis O'Hare	...	Mr. Greer
Julie White	...	Mrs. Greer
Austin Williams	...	Henry Clayton
Jennifer Van Dyck	...	Ivy
Frank Wood	...	Gerald

Alternativ:

Michael Clayton (Deutschland) [de]

MPAA:

Rated R for language including some sexual dialogue.

Länge:

119 Min

Produktionsland:

USA

Sprache:

Englisch

Farbe:

Farbe

Seitenverhältnis:

2.35 : 1

Tonverfahren:

Dolby Digital | DTS | SDDS

Altersfreigabe:

New Zealand:M | Netherlands:6 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Australia:MA | UK:15 | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Argentina:13 | South Korea:15 | Brazil:12 | Finland:K-11 | Canada:PG (British Columbia) | Canada:14A (Alberta/Manitoba/Ontario) | Germany:12 | USA:R (certificate #43163) | South Africa:13L | Singapore:NC-16 | Taiwan:R-12 (original rating) | Denmark:11 | Sweden:11 | France:U | Norway:11 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:15A

Drehorte:

1345 Ave of the Americas, New York City, New York, USA

Firma:

Samuels Media

Dies und das:

Three previous Best Director Academy Award winners served as producers and/or executive producers to this film: Sydney Pollack (Producer), Anthony Minghella (Exec. Producer) and Steven Soderbergh (Exec. Producer).

Pannen:

Abfolgefehler: When Clayton is in Arthur's loft and he picks up the red book from the coffee table, you can clearly see the folded slip of paper sticking out from the bottom. A moment later, as he's flipping through the book, he almost doesn't see the paper because it's all the way inside.

Dialogzitate:

[first lines]
Arthur Edens: Michael. Dear Michael. Of course it's you, who else could they send, who else could be trusted? I... I know it's a long way and you're ready to go to work... all I'm saying is just wait, just... just wait and please just hear me out because this is not an episode, relapse, fuck-up, it's... I'm begging you Michael. I'm begging you. Try to make believe this is not just madness because this is not just madness. Two weeks ago I came out of the building ok, I'm running across 6th avenue there's a car waiting, I've got exactly 38 minutes to get to the airport and I'm dictating. There's this panicked associate sprinting along beside me, scribbling in a notepad, and suddenly she starts screaming, and I realize we're standing in the middle of the street, the light's changed, there's this wall of traffic, serious traffic speeding towards us, and I... I freeze, I can't move, and I'm suddenly consumed with the overwhelming sensation that I'm covered in some sort of film. It's in my hair, my face... it's like a glaze... a coating, and... at first I thought, oh my god, I know what this is, this is some sort of amniotic - embryonic - fluid. I'm drenched in afterbirth, I've breached the chrysalis, I've been reborn. But then the traffic, the stampede, the cars, the trucks, the horns, the screaming and I'm thinking no-no-no, reset, this is not rebirth, this is some kind of giddy illusion of renewal that happens in the final moment before death. And then I realize no-no-no, this is completely wrong because I look back at the building and I had the most stunning moment of clarity. I... I... I realized Michael, that I had emerged not from the doors of Kenner, Bach, and Ledeen, not through the portals of our vast and powerful law firm, but from the asshole of an organism whose sole function is to excrete the... the... the poison, the ammo, the defoliant necessary for other, larger, more powerful organisms to destroy the miracle of humanity. And that I had been coated in this patina of shit for the best part of my life. The stench of it and the sting of it would in all likelihood take the rest of my life to undo. And you know what I did? I took a deep cleansing breath and I put that notion aside. I tabled it. I said to myself as clear as this may be, as potent a feeling as this is, as true a thing as I believe I witnessed today, it must wait. It must stand the test of time, and Michael, the time is now.

Bezüge zu anderen Titeln:

Verweist auf/spielt an auf/erwähnt "Larry King Live" (1985)

Soundtrack:

Midnight Cocktail

A realization of the possible justice

With previous works on similar subjects such as "The Firm," "A Civil Action" and "Erin Brockovich," how can this one pull it off better? No one would ever believe it can until they see it themselves. Tony Gilroy, the screenwriter of "The Bourne" trilogy, revisits the saint-or-sinner theme in "The Devil's Advocate" and brings an excellent script that is full of precise dialog and intense sequences.

Michael Clayton, the senior lawyer in his firm, has fixed up many troubling cases which might not be considered as justice methods. Until another senior partner of the firm, Arthur Edens, freaked out at a hearing, the turning point of his life comes along with it unexpectedly.

Just like any of us, Clayton has to deal with many difficulties in life. Besides the handful works, there are also the child support and the dept owed by his brother. His son, Henry, is a smart kid and fully realizes the way life is. On the contrary, Timmy, his younger brother, just couldn't know how to stay out of trouble despite of having an older brother, Gene, who happens to be an officer.

The case which makes Edens freak out or just pretend to is a lawsuit involves with billions of dollars and hundreds of lives. It's not a rare affair in the U.S. and also one of the bigger ones that makes law firms make profits by helping big industries. But do the lawyers can all manage the deals without their conscience? Yes is the more likely answer.

Unlike the conscience Edens discovers within himself, the executive spokesman, Karen Crowder, doesn't care anything else but the welfare of the firm and, of course, of herself. But she is in fact very diffident due to her position and her sex. The only way she can breakthrough these odds is to make her bosses impressive.

As many have said in their reviews, George Clooney gave his best performance to date. He portrayed this role which is the key to the success of the movie brilliantly with every look, every move and every line that he has to as also an executive producer. He's a strong Oscar contender already.

The acclaimed but overlooked actor Tom Wilkinson does another great job as Edens. The reason and insanity of the role can both be seen through his limited but powerful interpretation.

It's even more thrilling to see Tilda Swinton in the cast. Very different from her previous roles which are well-known as authoritative and neuter, she dealt with a feminine role which tries to act strong but actually weak this time.

Another executive producer and the director of "The firm," Sydney Pollack, took the part which is only bigger than a cameo, shows his interest in this genre once more and being an actor besides already an acclaimed film director. Along side is Steven Soderbergh, the old pal of Clooney and the director of "Erin Brokovich."

With the constant dialog, it might fail to satisfy action-flick fans easily which it seems like one in the trailer. But as a suspense thriller, it's possibly the best one of the year or even in years. The important topic of the downfall sense of justice is a very present message to the society which is filled with the value that measured by money and power. And the gripping storytelling and the dream-alike ensemble cast shows what a good movie is made of.

As the credit shows on the right, the face of Clayton is still shown on screen which tells more about his feeling after the immense scenes he has just been through. Gilroy added a touch of realism to the ending after the metaphor sequence with the horses in the mist.