Thursday, May 15, 2008

Michael Clayton


“You look like that guy from ER.” I get that all the time.

Holy smokes this movie rocked. A few scenes especially, really surprised me.

The opening scene is a desperate, frantic voiceover as the camera pans through an empty corporate office building. It sets the tone for the entire film- that there is something rotten right below the surface.

When Clayton talks with his son, telling him “you’re stronger than your uncle” there is such a feeling of desperation on the part of Clayton, this hope that his son won’t turn out like the uncle, or maybe even like himself. The little boy listens intently, perhaps not quite understanding, but trying to.

When Clayton finally finds Edens, he can’t follow him because his son is in the car. Family life vs. work life is clearly demonstrated here, as it is when Tilda Swinton’s character rehearses for her interview at home.Clooney’s performance, though, most impressed me. We don’t see any of the familiar Clooney schtick- just a man in conflict, unhappy in his work, with his relationship with his brother, the situation with his son. He is a hero, but a reluctant one. When he finally gets Swinton in the end, his line “you’re so f---ed…” is more like a sigh of relief than any sort of heroic statement.

2 comments:

Derek D. said...

...You do kind of have Clooney's swagger... (wink)

Unknown said...

I thought the French made films?
This looks like a movie to me.
Uncle B