Review – Michael Clayton
- Ethan Cole
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Michael Clayton, a legal janitor/fixer, seemingly gets in over his head in his latest task which entails of reeling in the guilt ridden attorney Arthur Edens who suffered an apparent psychotic break; therein proceeded to fuck up a class action lawsuit for U/North. Along with this Clayton juggles the typical mess of his non-professional life with all the generic baggage it requires.
The film opens up a genuine sense of suspense courtesy of a strong score and the deranged voice over monolog by Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson) juxtaposed with what would otherwise be mundane shots of the office – the sleeping organism as it were. There is a strong momentum here, the pace not letting up – caught in the engine wash of the speech, riding the wave of the soundtrack into the scenes that follow. As the film progresses the momentum is eventually lost, since the pacing has a tendency to rely on the score – which is also working at building atmosphere where editing isn’t used.
James Newton Howard’s score is moody, providing a strong undercurrent effectively driving the pace, echoing the character’s mental state or situation and simultaneously proving useful to generate some of the needed tension. The music cues are great as the shots and camera work on their own do little to generate much in the way of an edgy atmosphere or sense of risk. However, there are some nicely shot pieces, and an expected ‘one take’ murder sequence, which is nicely choreographed, but this is less to do with the camera than it is to do with the performers and blocking – the shot is neither shocking nor fancy, but rather serviceable and efficient, yet seemingly unnecessary.
The deranged speech is utilized a second time, restoring the energy and a sense of tension, whilst simultaneously introducing the character – it works well, but barely resonates effectively since it doesn’t have a strong bearing on the ‘reality’ of the movie – it’s just a scripted event.
In spite of this, there is some good editing and a particularly nice use of inter-cutting which adds to Tilda Swinton’s character without wasting any screen time. Whilst she comes off like an insecure junkie, Clooney appears worn out and sleep deprived for most of the film – it’s something that works for a select few scenes.
The question is posed a few times as to “who is Michael Clayton?” – no doubt it’s something that informed Clooney’s performance as there are scenes where he plays it; the inner workings – but as far as the film is concerned and effectively; the viewer’s perspective, it’s hardly important. It wouldn’t be surprising if the writer/director assumes the tidy ending is somehow conclusive of this journey, solidifying his choice and coming to terms with what he is. It probably worked on paper.
Edens’ presence and attitude is great, since he’s the only real energized player in the movie – the other’s mostly antagonists sleepily and meekly roaming about, where as through Eden (and the two Bluetooth endowed ‘cleaners’) some of the threads of a greater conspiracy are revealed. Unfortunately with all his energy, there is still no evidence of paranoia. This is partly a fault of the narrative presentation, since the only guy who is paranoid is deranged and off his meds, and no one believes him. Though we the audience, see everything – knowing he’s not actually paranoid but has almost all the facts. It’s because of this that there is no one the audience can associate with to vicariously experience the suspense and possible thrill/paranoia of a greater conspiracy at work – it doesn’t necessarily have to be the skin crawling kind, but when the audience has most of the facts who really gives a shit about some sleepy character bumping into things not knowing what’s really going on. Further there is no impact of the so-called ‘truth’ – pretty much being played off in a very contained and insular. Only having potentially a greater impact in the oh-so-clean-and-convenient ending that some people will swallow others will spit.
Initially the conspiracy is strong, as there are only limited threads hinted at and slowly building to something – in fashion not typical of a ‘legal thriller’. This all begins to fall apart towards the end of the second act, as the whole energy is (ironically) killed off – with a conceptual threat still present – but with absolutely no air of menace. This effectively dilutes the chronological rewind to the point it’s almost useless, only serving to reveal extra details rather than any sense of suspense. All this comes off more akin to a slap in the face than a satisfactory explanation.
Whilst the dialog is well written, and the script strong, it is only so for the most of the first two acts – with the exception of the Clayton’s Kid, his dialog reeks of bullshit; effectively a narrative device than a ‘real kid’, serving no purpose other than a slight moral chord, a humanizing factor and a tool of information for threads to be tied – although there is a gap in where he fails to mention a phone call made, which of course is convenient for the plot. He’s also the device used to introduce the fictional RPG styled “Realm + Conquest” book, which is expectedly tied into the psychosis of Eden’s mental state – it’s gimmicky at best, typical of a ‘clever script’ but none of it is really paid off, despite a hint of some imagery. Again, it seems like a script heavy event where we’re supposed to jump into some bullshit film school interpretation and read into this kid as a source of innocence that was lost by the corporate evil and Edens rediscovered in his awakening… yeah… and ‘Eden’ is probably no coincidence – but in something that tries to be this clever without pulling it off, particularly with as much money and name value at hand – this is far from acceptable.
The slogan “The Truth Can Be Adjusted”… sure, the truth in this case is fucking pretentiously bland – as such more than adjustment is needed… perhaps an overhaul. It plays like a great trailer, full of promise but leaves you wanting the material. Problem here is that it’s a movie, and as a result; it’s pretty forgettable. Almost like the best of misdirection, an illusion presented and packaged well enough to sell to the eager audiences with gaping Oscar chapped lips – but once you see passed this veil of pretense all that’s left: “is that fucking it?”. All the tension established in the beginning washes off like some quick-to-crust premature ejaculate of some smartass waving his cock around – hard and so full of himself he shoots his wad too early and does his best to hide it.
If you were to watch this stoned, you may find the paranoia that is lacking.
Rating: 5.0/10
Cumjackulation Rating: 7.0/10
(ratings explained)