Jeanskynebu the audience applauded

Pluskylang Great Film overall

Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

Pacionsbo Absolutely Fantastic

Evan Wessman (CinematicInceptions) I can see that there was a lot of skill that went into crafting this story, but unfortunately I can't say that I enjoyed it. I can tell that this is the sort of story that has been well thought out and probably doesn't have any plot holes, but it was just not something that I could follow. Much like when I watch the original Mission Impossible movie, I can sort of understand what's going on with the plot as I'm watching it, but as soon as I turn it off, I have no clue what happened. Part of me feels as though there should have been a way to make the content of this movie a little more comprehensible, after seeing how expertly Sorkin was able to make good sense of legal dealings in The Social Network. However, because the entire movie of Michael Clayton centers around legal cases instead of just featuring one, I guess it was inevitable that there would be a lot of legal jargon.If this were made today, it would definitely be a tv show, and actually it might not make a bad one. It would have been easier to follow Michael's arc and it wouldn't have been necessary to condense some of the more technical expositiony bits as much. Also, the concept of the movie is just not terribly cinematic, but could have been more interesting if it had more time with its characters. There are still some movies like this that are made, but they are not big and don't even really get the kind of award season recognition that this one did. I don't quite know how to feel about that, maybe it's a good thing, but the fact is that "adult dramas" like this are a dying genre.Though it is hard to judge the acting performances because I didn't understand the context of each scene that well, it seemed like everyone gave a pretty good performance here. Tilda Swinton, is good as always, and once again is unrecognizable from her other roles. Tom Wilkinson played one of his more annoying roles, but doesn't do badly in it. George Clooney had a more impressive performance than I'd ever seen out of him. I don't think any aspect of the movie deserved its Oscar nominations, but maybe that was because 2007 was a bit of an off year in terms of awards movies. I wouldn't recommend this that strongly for anyone. I can imagine someone enjoying it, but I don't know who. One feature that might be attractive is that it takes a more realistic look at the work lawyers do than something like Law and Order or even To Kill a Mockingbird. However, it is a very serious movie and isn't likely to have any of the appeal that most people traditionally seek in movies. Overall Rating: 6.4/10

nimstic Came here to write a review to this excellent film. Wonderfully written by Tony Gilroy. I have not seen any of his earlier/or later works except Duplicity, which to me was a pretty average film. Everyone in MC are top of the line pros - Tilda Swindon, Tom Wilkinson, Sidney Pollack and George Clooney, doing what he does best. The story is cleverly written, adapted in a tight and flawless manner. Surprised by the lower rating here. For me a good 8/10. Yes, it has an interesting ending but that doesn't do justice to the excellent journey the film takes you on from start to finish. If you enjoy edgy, legal thrillers, get yourself going with it. I've watched after an article on Atlantic describing it as a treatise on human soul's intense cry for help today. We all want something about this world to desperately change but we see it turning against us with more intensity the more we think about it.

rightkeith I rarely rewatch movies. Especially ones I thought were just OK. I first saw Michael Clayton 10 years ago and thought it was decent, if not a little slow and confusing. I could tell it was intense, but didn't know why. Maybe I was too young to understand that large corporations have their own in-house counsel as well as outside legal consultants when involved with multi-billion dollar cases. so it wasn't until 2nd viewing when I kind of knew what to expect that I was able to appreciate everyone's motivations.There is no hero to be found in Michael Clayton. Nothing is black and white. A bunch of people are mired in gray, and face extraordinary circumstances, and each is looking out for themselves.The director gives the audience a lot of credit here. Nothing is spelled out. At one point Michael is being arrested for breaking into a crime scene; we are not told he has been ratted on, but know who did it. We don't need to be told that the two wine glasses in the refrigerator cement Michael's theory that his colleague was murdered and didn't OD. I wasn't familiar with Tony Gilroy, so was pleasantly surprised seeing his other projects included Rogue One (a rarely complex yet believable script for the Star Wars universe) and Bourne Identity.I enjoyed this so much once I figured it out that it makes me want to go back and give Syriana another shot.

transcendingpictures This film marks an incredible directorial debut for Tony Gilroy. He was an accomplished screenwriter - and his script for MC is immaculate - but his direction was inspired with confidence and craftsmanship. Immaculate performances across the board - especially from Tilda Swinton and Tom Wilkinson. Masterful storytelling and nearly perfect execution. The look and feel of the world was perfectly calibrated. It's one of the those films that gets even stronger with age. There's so much happening in his film, to re-watch is overcome with revelations. I love this film so much. I really wish they made films this smart and well-crafted more often these days. It's just not the kind of film that movie studios care to make anymore. Sadly.