Michael Clayton

Who would have thought during ER's prime that George Clooney would one day receive oscar nominations? Who would have thought after Batman and Robin that Clooney would have any kind of career, look at Chris O'Donnel and Alicia Silverstone. Yet after 2005 with his win for Syriana and his directorial follow-up to Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Good Night, and Good Luck getting a Best Picture nod the world knew this was to spark recurring visits to the ceremony of all entertainment ceremonies. And then came last year, a year full of some of this decades greatest movies with unforgettable performances and movies that will sure forever change filmmaking and it was this small, initially unknown suspense drama that made it into the top 5 along with a nod for George Clooney. Michael Clayton is a movie about a man (you can probably guess his name) who is a fixer for a large and prestigious law firm and gets caught in the middle of a dangerous case. Yet for what sounds like a cliche premise this movie never loses its footing to achieve cheap thrills, but rather hope the viewer is smart enough to understand the levity and danger. Clooney plays the role with stunning precision, but is shown up by two of his supporting actors, Tilda Swinton in an oscar winning perf as a woman working for a company willing to take any means to keep the company above water and Tom Wilkinson as a seemingly crazed lawyer that strips in the middle of a deposition. It is a sharp film, and one of the few movies that looks and feels as smart as it truly is. A definite must-see for any movie buff.