Michael Clayton represents the everyman striving for human morals and ideals in a world ruled by corporate conglomerates. We often are bombarded with struggles between man and evil corporations polluting our homes, airwaves, forests and rivers. This is a classic tale of David versus Goliath. In the same way the small guy wins over the giant.
George Clooney is a one of the most charismatic personalities in Hollywood, while not representative of the everyman with his suave style and charming good looks, he is believable as the classic battler for human rights. He is pivotal to the film's success by influencing all the major events and causing an avalanche of headaches for the corporation. He is helped along by the complex and tense, yet somewhat talky script, and smart restrained direction. This is a bare-boned thriller based on raw cause and effect. The blows come from the devastating consequences of his actions to bring down a global behemoth for which the crimes we do not see but are explicit everyday. These range from the crippling social effects to apparent health issues and economic destruction. What car chases and cold-blooded murder remain in the film are sharp jolts overshadowed with the harsh fact that corporations always get want they want.
The tone of the film is composed in muted shades of grey, lost in the pure void of commercial office blocks and eerie fluorescent lighting. This is complimented the by stillness of dusk and the lethalness of silent assassins. Much if the film's shocks and turns happen behind closed doors in main office blocks, and behind locked apartment doors. It is representative of the truth on the edge of revelation but silenced by the sly powers that be.
While a little dry for my tastes, the tone suits the atmosphere and flavour of the story. It is a story that relies on the veracity and shocking truth of the events at hand. George Clooney is the perfect character for Michael Clayton, his ideals shadow that of his off-screen left-wing ideals and outspokenness for human rights. His fight against corporate and human justice seem to resonate with his fair and morally shrewd ethics. Plus did I mention his charm and charisma makes him so easy to like? This is a smart, mature story with some nail biting set pieces that should keep you on the edge of you seat for the film's thrill ride.
George Clooney is a one of the most charismatic personalities in Hollywood, while not representative of the everyman with his suave style and charming good looks, he is believable as the classic battler for human rights. He is pivotal to the film's success by influencing all the major events and causing an avalanche of headaches for the corporation. He is helped along by the complex and tense, yet somewhat talky script, and smart restrained direction. This is a bare-boned thriller based on raw cause and effect. The blows come from the devastating consequences of his actions to bring down a global behemoth for which the crimes we do not see but are explicit everyday. These range from the crippling social effects to apparent health issues and economic destruction. What car chases and cold-blooded murder remain in the film are sharp jolts overshadowed with the harsh fact that corporations always get want they want.
The tone of the film is composed in muted shades of grey, lost in the pure void of commercial office blocks and eerie fluorescent lighting. This is complimented the by stillness of dusk and the lethalness of silent assassins. Much if the film's shocks and turns happen behind closed doors in main office blocks, and behind locked apartment doors. It is representative of the truth on the edge of revelation but silenced by the sly powers that be.
While a little dry for my tastes, the tone suits the atmosphere and flavour of the story. It is a story that relies on the veracity and shocking truth of the events at hand. George Clooney is the perfect character for Michael Clayton, his ideals shadow that of his off-screen left-wing ideals and outspokenness for human rights. His fight against corporate and human justice seem to resonate with his fair and morally shrewd ethics. Plus did I mention his charm and charisma makes him so easy to like? This is a smart, mature story with some nail biting set pieces that should keep you on the edge of you seat for the film's thrill ride.