Mar 07, 2012 06:12 PM
1963 Views
(Updated Mar 07, 2012 06:22 PM)
This is a 2007 film, so this review is very, very late. But I am sure that there are enough people out there who haven’t watched it; and its too good a film to miss. I just finished watching this film - twice (on my laptop, that is) and I can’t help but write a review on it.
There are some films which hit you hard, make you think, disturb you and you can relate to them. This film is as realistic as cinema can get. The events, politics, dirty tricks, corporate spying and backstabbing is not an exaggeration at all, it may surprise you but these things are commonplace at most workplaces; if you haven’t come across them … well, you are lucky.
The film is about a pesticides company, a law firm representing this pesticides company and a bunch of people claiming that one pesticide manufactured by the company is causing cancer for the people living near the farms where it is used. One senior partner of the law firm realizes that he is representing a killer company and decides to go against it. The law firm calls its ‘fixer’ – Michael Clayton – to ‘fix’ this problem.
This is an intelligent piece of work. But this is not a typical high speed, dramatic and one-punchline-per-minute kind of Hollywood thriller. If you like only such films (even I do, sometimes), you should avoid this. The suspense here unfolds slowly and steadily. There is hardly a scene or line in this film that is out of place or meaningless.
George Clooney (plays the role of Michael Clayton) is in top form here. He is a well known Hollywood actor and people swear on his acting skills. Before this, I had watched 2 of his films – The American and The Ides of March – and although I liked both films and his performances, I was never really a ‘fan’ of his. But after watching this film, I am in awe of him and I am going to watch every film of his – past and future. He plays a loser to the perfection: 45 year old, hopeless, screwed up career and life, no Godfathers, tossed around like a ping pong ball by seniors; his portrayal of Michael Clayton is one of the best performances I have seen in a long time. And he has no flashy lines or dramatic camera angles; in fact, the best moments are when he has no dialogues: his expressions when he is watching the 3 horses [the most intelligent metaphorical scene I’ve seen in a film (so far, that is; I am hoping for more); absolute gem from the writer/director/actor] or the last 3-4 minutes of the film when he is sitting in a cab, speechless. Hats off!
Having said this, the rest of the cast also does a stellar job. I can’t think of even a single actor who slacked around. The writer and director have put in serious efforts into each character. I just loved the way Michael Clayton’s character transitions from a defensive one in the beginning to a careless and daredevil one towards the end; all the while maintaining his hopelessness.
This film is more like a novel, it makes you think and expects a certain level of intelligence and attention on the viewer’s part to appreciate it. Highly recommended!
