This isn't a thrill a minute. But "Michael Clayton" is indeed an entertaining thriller, although it's a slow-paced one that's told mostly in flashback.
Comment
10/17/07
Michael Clayton (2007)
90
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:189
Fresh:170
Rotten:19
Average Rating:7.6/10
Consensus: Michael Clayton is one of the most sharply scripted films of 2007, with an engrossing premise and faultless acting. Director Tony Gilroy succeeds not only in capturing the audience's attention, but holding it until the credits roll.
Runtime: 2 hrs
Genre: Law/Lawyers, Thriller, Mental Illness, Divorce, Theatrical Release
US Box Office: $48,976,323
Synopsis: Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is what is known in the legal world as a "fixer," or in the character's own pejorative version, a "janitor" who cleans up legal messes for VIPs and corporations on... [More]
Starring: George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, Sydney Pollack
Director: Tony Gilroy
Reviews for Michael Clayton
41 - 60 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
I've seen a lot of legal dramas over the years; this is one of the best (if not the best) of them.
10/17/07
Further proof that George Clooney is quite simply the movie star of our age.
10/17/07
In some scenes, Clayton is the kick in the pants the whodunit genre desperately needs
10/16/07
The multiplex needs more movies where life, work, morality, and debt comprise the constellation of adult experience, unimpinged upon by concessions to youth audiences and unameliorated by any whiff of romance.
10/16/07
Erin Brockovich (2000) meets A Civil Action (1998), but featuring a flawed hero with blood on his hands and an ace up his sleeve.
10/15/07
Audiences, beware you will be drawn in by Clayton and will be wondering days later why films are not all this good?
10/14/07
The dialogue may crackle, but the characters are standard-issue.
10/14/07
What elevates it above the depressingly familiar storyline are the performances.
10/14/07
This is a tense thriller even if the basic plot turns out to be a little overly familiar.
10/14/07
Although we've seen many films about high-profile law firms versus the average Joe, watching Michael Clayton becomes more compelling every minute.
10/14/07
Confident in the story's power and the moviegoers' intelligence, Gilroy uses only one explosion to own our rapt attention.
10/13/07
Filled with wonderfully conflicted characters, Michael Clayton is a masterful legal thriller that never misses a beat. A true diamond in the rough.
10/13/07
Tasty mix of crowd-pleasing action and whip-smart storytelling.
10/13/07
A throwback to trim, intelligent moral thrillers like The Verdict and Absence of Malice.
10/13/07
Shot and edited well, featuring a large, talented cast, Michael Clayton should provide entertainment
10/13/07
It barrels through its formulaic story and clichéd elements with its outstanding cast leading the way.
10/12/07
...a good last scene can redeem a lot of tedium, and [writer-director Tony] Gilroy provides a doozy...
10/12/07
The film is stealthy, like its characters; it creeps up on you.
10/12/07
Michael Clayton is -- hands-down, no-question, make-your-toes-curl-with-a-creative-crush -- the absolute best, most surprising, most devastating performance Clooney has given us yet.
10/12/07
Latest News for Michael Clayton
May 11, 2009:
RT Interview: Tilda Swinton on Julia
One of the most diverse and celebrated talents of her generation, the directors on Tilda Swinton's CV represent a veritable who's who of independent cinema and include David... More...
May 27, 2008:
Sydney Pollack: A Retrospective
With two Oscar wins and plenty more nominations under his belt, Sydney Pollack was a filmmaker that Hollywood admired. He was also a proven actor's director whose fruitful... More...
May 26, 2008:
Sydney Pollack dies aged 73
Academy Award-winning director, producer and actor, Sydney Pollack, dies aged 73. More...
April 11, 2008:
Script Review: Tony Gilroy's Duplicity 
Tony Gilroy's follow-up to Michael Clayton -- the Clive Owen/Julia Roberts-led Duplicity -- is filming now, and Latino Review is offering a review of the script. More...
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