RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Check out the new RT Community
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / Upcoming / Michael Clayton
Michael Clayton

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Michael Clayton (2007)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
90 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

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... 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 behalf of a prestigious New York City law firm. A former litigator, Clayton has found a niche that capitalizes on his legal acumen and shrewd people skills, and yet, after 13 years on the job, finds himself increasingly disgusted with his clientele. The film covers four pivotal days of his life, in which a midlife crisis and a crisis of conscience neatly converge when he is called in to "fix" a situation unfolding in one of his firm's hottest cases. Brilliant lawyer Arthur Edens (another powerhouse performance by Tom Wilkinson), representing a huge agro-chemical corporation being hit by a class action suit, has a bipolar breakdown, compounded by guilt over his defense of a company that is probably in the wrong, but is wealthy enough to buy its innocence either way. The company's CEO (Tilda Swinton) will stop at nothing to keep Edens from sinking the case. Clayton must decide how much of Edens's mad rebellion against the company is sheer mental illness, how much is true, and how much it will cost him to do the right thing. Clooney delivers a rich performance as a hangdog and haunted man who wants to stay on the side of good, but is a little too skilled at moral margin-walking to make that an easy choice in every situation. Swinton glows as a secretly frail Amazon who somehow won't let a tortured conscience prevent her from getting ahead. The final third of the film is as suspenseful as any courtroom drama, without ever resorting to legal-thriller cliches. [More]

Starring: George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, Sydney Pollack

Starring: George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, Sydney Pollack

Director: Tony Gilroy

Director: Tony Gilroy
Screenwriter: Tony Gilroy
Producer: Sydney Pollack, Jennifer Fox, Steve Samuels, Kerry Orent
Composer: James Newton Howard
Studio: Warner Bros.

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
  • Trailer #1
    >
1 of 1

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Reviews for Michael Clayton

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
 
 
81 - 100 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

Michael Clayton is an intelligent thriller that takes time to explore little crevices of character along the way ...

Full Review Source: Atlantic City Weekly | comment Comment
10/11/07
Lori Hoffman
Lori Hoffman
Atlantic City Weekly

As important as it is entertaining.

Full Review Source: Orlando Weekly | comment Comment
10/11/07
John Thomason
John Thomason
Orlando Weekly

There are no real surprises in Michael Clayton, just the awareness of a job well done.

Full Review Source: Creative Loafing | comment Comment
10/10/07
Matt Brunson
Matt Brunson
Creative Loafing

Dude, there’s a bomb in your car.

Full Review Source: Reeler | comment 1 Comment
10/10/07
Keith Uhlich
Keith Uhlich
Reeler

It’s The Insider remade and rechristened with all the coiled, white-hot intensity of a crime thriller like Heat.

Full Review Source: FilmStew.com | comment Comment
10/10/07
Brent Simon
Brent Simon
FilmStew.com

An engrossing intellectual thriller with a shrewd grasp of crowd-pleasing storytelling ... the kind of Hollywood movie we could use a lot more of.

Full Review Source: Metromix.com | comment Comment
10/10/07
Geoff Berkshire
Geoff Berkshire
Metromix.com

a mystery-thriller that is truly delightful to savor.

Full Review Source: Sean the Movie Guy | comment Comment
10/09/07
Sean McBride
Sean McBride
Sean the Movie Guy

Full of plausible characters who are capable of surprising — and surpassing — your expectations.

Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | comment Comment
10/09/07
Richard Schickel
Richard Schickel
TIME Magazine

made my jaw drop as I realized I was in for something special

Full Review Source: WaffleMovies.com | comment Comment
10/08/07
Willie Waffle
Willie Waffle
WaffleMovies.com

A resonant throwback with deep roots to the political thrillers of the 1970s; slick, smart and saturated in dramatic paranoia.

Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
10/08/07
Jeanne Aufmuth
Jeanne Aufmuth
Palo Alto Weekly

One of my favorite movies of the year.

Full Review Source: Ebert & Roeper | comment Comment
10/08/07
Richard Roeper
Richard Roeper
Ebert & Roeper
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Some might see the dark cinematography, the protagonist pursued by demons, and the slow, wordy, incoherent story-telling as tense. I looked at my watch a lot.

Full Review Source: tonymedley.com | comment 1 Comment
10/08/07
Tony Medley
Tony Medley
tonymedley.com

Literate and convincing.

Full Review Source: Goatdog's Movies | comment Comment
10/07/07
Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
Goatdog's Movies

...an intelligent thriller that does not have an axe to grind. Sure, there is the evil corporate entity and its pitiless lawyers but they are relative fodder to feed Michael's story of redemption.

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
10/06/07
Robin Clifford
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews

Once the narrative edges toward meeting up with where it began, Michael Clayton becomes riveting stuff all the way until the gratifyingly acidic ending.

Full Review Source: DustinPutman.com | comment Comment
10/06/07
Dustin Putman
Dustin Putman
DustinPutman.com

A dense trip into the gray areas of the legal world that film fans will go back to again and again like the classics that inspired it. Don't miss it.

Full Review Source: UGO | comment Comment
10/06/07
Brian Tallerico
Brian Tallerico
UGO

With his focused, charismatic manner and a character whose control is challenged by a colleague's principles, Clooney sustains the tension in a case of corporate corruption.

Full Review Source: Cinema Signals | comment Comment
10/05/07
Jules Brenner
Jules Brenner
Cinema Signals

This is unequivocally a thriller for adults

Full Review Source: USA Today | comment Comment
10/05/07
Claudia Puig
Claudia Puig
USA Today
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

And while Gilroy deploys the occasional exploding car, the film's climax is all words -- angry, carefully sharpened words -- with the stopping power of large-caliber bullets.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
10/05/07
Maitland McDonagh
Maitland McDonagh
TV Guide's Movie Guide

While the plot is complex in the telling, it unfolds onscreen with propulsive fascination.

Full Review Source: Toronto Star | comment Comment
10/05/07
Geoff Pevere
Geoff Pevere
Toronto Star
 
 
81 - 100 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 >> >|
all

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 Opens in new window
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...

See All

More Movies

Coming Soon in Australia
Tomatometer Percentage Movie Date

89% 89% Up in the Air 14/1
— The Tooth Fairy 14/1
— Bran Nue Dae 14/1

What’s Hot On RT

Inception Trailer

Inception Trailer

See the new trailer for Chris Nolan's latest

2010's Biggest Films

2010's Biggest Films

We preview all the new year's major releases

Prince of Persia

Prince of Persia

Go behind the scenes with this new clip

Producers Guild

Producers Guild

See which films topped the pre-Oscar US noms

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • James Cameron on Avatar: "There'll Be Another" Source: Ain't It Cool News
6
  • George Lucas Talks Star Wars Source: Collider.com
22
  • Spider-Man 4: A Sequel in Search of a Script Source: Deadline Hollywood Daily
74
  • Sam Mendes in Discussions for Bond 23 Source: Los Angeles Times
34
  • Christopher Lee, Heavy Metal Rock God Source: Videogum
5
  • Weekly Ketchup: Annual Ketchup Edition
74
  • Harold Ramis Discusses Filmography, Teases Ghostbusters 3 Source: Heeb Magazine
16
  • National Film Registry Adds 2009 Selections Source: Hollywood Reporter
9
  • New Moon Tops Moviefone's 2009 List Source: Hollywood Reporter
30
  • Star Trek Tops 2009's Most-Pirated Movies List Source: Hollywood Reporter
19
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Avatar Continues Its Run In 2010
231
  • Awards Tour: 2010 People's Choice Awards Winners!
228
  • Rotten Tomatoes Is Joining Forces With Flixster!
52
  • Weekly Ketchup: Annual Ketchup Edition
37
  • Awards Tour: The Hurt Locker Wins Big At National Society of Film Critics Awards
37
  • Awards Tour: Directors Guild Association Announces Nominees
32
  • Friday Harvest: Eclipse, Robin Hood, and more!
31
  • Awards Tour: Producers Guild Announces Nominees
25
  • Total Recall: Amy Adams' Best Movies
21
  • Critics Consensus: Daybreakers Has Bite
17
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • Five Favorite Films With Peter Jackson
76
  • Robert Downey Jr. talks Sherlock Holmes & Iron Man 2 - RT Interview
22
  • Director Ruben Fleischer Talks Zombieland
2
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
17
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
12
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
24
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • RT on DVD: Wassup, Bruno
3
  • Scott Hicks Talks The Boys Are Back
0
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
16
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Michael Clayton at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Michael Clayton at IGN

Fresh Links

Featured
40 Best Films of the 2000s
40 Best Films of the 2000s External Link

Last week, Moviefone offered us their worst films of the 2000s. Now see their 40 best!

Competitions
Win Funny People on DVD
Win Funny People on DVD External Link

We're giving away copies of Judd Apatow's latest.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo
About Us | Advertise | Contact Us | Press | Careers
IGN | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | Direct2Drive | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Game Sites | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | GIGA.DE | What They Play | Battlefield Heroes
By continuing past this page, and by your continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2010, IGN Entertainment, Inc. | Support | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! RSS Feeds
IGN’s enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA.
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.