When the chief defense litigator (Tom Wilkinson) for a three billion dollar class action suit loses his marbles and not only strips naked during a deposition, but also turns whistleblower, his law firm calls in their “fixer,” attorney Michael Clayton (George Clooney) to undo the damage.  Unfortunately, when it becomes apparent that he is not going to succeed, the chief counsel (Tilda Swinton) for the corporation being sued resorts to desperate and deadly measures.

CRITIQUE

Tony Gilroy has written and directed a perfect legal thriller and filled it with an equally perfect cast of players.  Told primarily in flashback, this is a smart, intelligently crafted film that will keep audiences riveted from start to finish.

George Clooney has never been better.  As the movie’s title character, he is a man who has sold out and is seeking moral redemption. 

Michael Clayton is a brilliant New York attorney who comes from a family of cops and once worked for the district attorney’s office.  A major law firm now employs him.  His job as a “fixer” is to clean up “messes” created by that firm’s clients and its other lawyers.

Clayton is divorced and virtually broke.  He recently lost all his “walk away” money in a bad business deal, and he still owes $75,000 to the wrong kind of people.

Fate intervenes for Clayton when his good friend, Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson), a top litigator for the same law firm, goes off his meds and has a mental breakdown.  Clooney is ordered to bring him back under control.

Edens is also seeking redemption and he’s doing it by betraying the firm’s client, a gigantic corporation that is definitely guilty for knowingly distributing a cancer-causing chemical.  He has, in fact, printed up 1000 copies of a damaging secret report and is planning to distribute it to the plaintiffs in the three billion dollar lawsuit.

Wilkinson’s portrayal of the bipolar attorney is exceptional.  Although he’s unlikely to get it, he really is the most deserving of the Best Supporting Actor Oscar this year.

Also superb is Tilda Swinton, one of the finest actresses working in films today.  As the chief counsel for the gigantic corporation, she presents us with an essentially insecure woman who is playing above her capabilities and who will stop at nothing, even murder, to make sure that her deficiencies will not be discovered.

Director Sydney Pollack, who seems to be taking more and more acting roles these days, plays Clooney’s no-nonsense boss.

They don’t make movies much better than this one.

THE VIDEO

The widescreen picture is crisp, sharp with no flaws.

THE AUDIO

The Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound is has no problems whatsoever.

THE EXTRAS

The DVD contains informative and interesting audio commentary by writer/director Tony Gilroy and editor John Gilroy.

There are also three deleted scenes, one of which establishes that George Clooney’s character is having an affair with a lady attorney in his law office.  The scenes are enlightening, but unnecessary.

FINAL THOUGHT

Michael Clayton is a perfect thriller.