Product Description

Attorney Michael Clayton is a ?fixer? the go-to guy when his powerful New York law firm wants a mess swept under the rug. But now he?s handed a crisis even he may not be able to fix. The firm?s top litigator in a $3-billion case has gone from advocate to whistleblower. And the more Michael tries to undo the damage the more he?s up against forces that put corporate survival over human life ? including Michael?s. George Clooney portrays Michael backed into a career corner that offers little room to fight free in this suspense- and star-packed thriller written and directed by Tony Gilroy (writer/co-writer of the Bourne movie trilogy). Keep your eyes on Michael Clayton. He has some life-or- death decisions to make. Fast.Running Time: 119 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA/PSYCHOLOGICAL DRAMA UPC: 085391142560 Manufacturer No: 114256

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #737 in DVD
• Brand: Warner Brothers
• Released on: 2008-02-19
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
• Dubbed in: French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.25 pounds
• Running time: 120 minutes

Amazon.com
George Clooney's performance drives this tense corporate thriller from Bourne trilogy screenwriter James Gilroy, who makes his directorial debut here. Clooney is the eponymous "hero," a burnt-out lawyer who cleans up legal messes created by the clients of a large law firm. When a crisis materializes in the form of the firm's top shark (Tom Wilkinson) suffering an apparent meltdown while defending a shady chemical company from lawsuits, Clayton discovers not only a cover-up to deny payments to farmers injured by the company's products, but a chance to find some purpose in the face of his life's downward. Clooney (who also co-produced the film) brings soul and quiet determination to his beleaguered character, and there's excellent support from Wilkinson, Sydney Pollack (also a co-producer), and Michael O'Keefe; Gilroy's script also does a solid job of stacking the deck against Clayton as he attempts to ferret out the truth behind the cover-up. Unfortunately, the film settles for a pat conclusion that, while emotionally satisfying, feels forced and delivers an overly simplistic message (corporations can be bad; morally questionable work can make one feel dirty). And Tilda Swinton is wasted in a thankless role as the chemical company's nerve-wracked and unsympathetic legal counsel. Still, Clooney fans will appreciate this fine addition to his growing roster of flawed heroes. -- Paul Gaita

Customer Reviews

Bought a DVD
Speedy delivery from the USA to Europe. Happy, both with item purchased and with the speed. To be recommended

Michael Clayton review
Never pre-judge. I thoroughly enjoyed Michael Clayton and would highly recommend it. I almost didn't buy it because a friend had seen it and didn't care for it or "get it". I thought it was very well done, enthralling, and had that element I love, a twist at the end.

Just Bad
I had high hopes for this film, and it let me down at every turn. I know people don't like to read negative reviews, so I'll keep this short. First, the plot reminded me of a Lifetime movie. Second, there's a difference between playing a character low key and just coming across bored; even a developmentally-disabled half-deaf person is going to have at least a visible physical reaction to seeing his car blow up twice. Third, the only actor the viewer can feel anything for is Arthur, who is a direct rip off of Paddy Chayevsky's Howard Beale from the phenominal "Network." Fourth, George Clooney seems to think he's Sean Connery, and he's not. I've taught drama and scriptwriting for thirty years, and although I wanted to like this movie, I just couldn't.