Critic Reviews
Michael Clayton (2007) Rank 4 Reviews
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based on (262) reviews
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NewsBlaze (Kam Williams)
Erin Brockovich (2000) meets A Civil Action (1998), but featuring a flawed hero with blood on his hands and an ace up his sleeve. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at NewsBlaze (Kam Williams)
FromTheBalcony (Bill Clark)
The story is elaborate and demands the utmost of patience, and the final confrontation is one that won't soon be forgotten -- particularly if you're George Clooney at the height of awards season. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at FromTheBalcony (Bill Clark)
WaffleMovies.com (Willie Waffle)
made my jaw drop as I realized I was in for something special ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at WaffleMovies.com (Willie Waffle)
Ebert & Roeper (Richard Roeper)
One of my favorite movies of the year. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Ebert & Roeper (Richard Roeper)
hoopla.nu
Michael Clayton (Clooney) is his firm's 'fixer' - a lawyer, yes, but not a partner even after many years of service. His bosses have other uses for him... managing potentially ugly situations for top-notch clients so that they can continue on their ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at hoopla.nu
FirstShowing.net (Ken Evans)
Every few years a film gets released that really makes me think about who I am and how I live this life. It didn't occur to me how much I love these films until I realized that every time someone asks me for recommendations for a film to watch, these are ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at FirstShowing.net (Ken Evans)
Foote on Film (John H. Foote)
There is a sense of seventies cinema that permeates throughout the fine film Michael Clayton, as though the picture had been directed by that master of the legal thriller Alan J. Pakula who gave us All the President’s Men (1976) and Presumed Innocent ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Foote on Film (John H. Foote)
efilmcritic.com (Peter Sobczynski)
Yes, Virginia, there really was a time when American cinema contained complex storylines, social commentary and characters that were allowed to be flawed and ambiguous instead of being purely good or purely evil. During this period–historians have ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at efilmcritic.com (Peter Sobczynski)
WFAA-TV (Gary Cogill)
Hold on to your gavel—Michael Clayton is a highly-entertaining, tightly-wound thriller about lawyers, in this case, a no-nonsense high-dollar "fix it" man named Clayton, wonderfully played by George Clooney, who makes a living cleaning up other people's ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at WFAA-TV (Gary Cogill)
State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL) (Nick Rogers)
George Clooney wastes nothing in his best performance, and the film is as breathtakingly efficient. Specifics and surprises unfold with methodical care, and attentive adult audiences can savor one of the smartest, classiest legal thrillers ever made. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL) (Nick Rogers)
Bangor Daily News (Maine) (Christopher Smith)
Clooney delivers a performance that demands what only a few in the industry can deliver--a critical, grounded turn that allows the film to savor its well-earned commercial overtones. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Bangor Daily News (Maine) (Christopher Smith)
Worcester Telegram & Gazette (Daniel M. Kimmel)
...a top-notch film that entertains, thrills, and - if you'll let it - makes you think. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Worcester Telegram & Gazette (Daniel M. Kimmel)
Orlando Sentinel (Roger Moore)
Stop printing the ballots. Don't waste money on those "for your consideration" Oscar ads. There is but one contender for best supporting actor this year, and it is Tom Wilkinson in Michael Clayton . ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Orlando Sentinel (Roger Moore)
Filmjerk.com (Brian Orndorf)
It’s another stab by George Clooney to bring back a little old fashioned character ambiguity to the big screen, and it’s his most successful effort yet. Michael Clayton (Clooney) is a “janitor,” a person brought in by his law firm to clean up mess ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Filmjerk.com (Brian Orndorf)
RopeofSilicon (Brad Brevet)
Other than Ocean's Thirteen, George Clooney movies as of late have not been your typical fare. Good Night, and Good Luck. was his directorial follow-up to Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and it sparked the beginning of a "new" Clooney, a Clooney that ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at RopeofSilicon (Brad Brevet)
Aisle Seat (Mike McGranaghan)
I've seen a lot of legal dramas over the years; this is one of the best (if not the best) of them. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Aisle Seat (Mike McGranaghan)
Minneapolis Star Tribune (--)
There's a lot of suspense churning in "Michael Clayton," even when we don't know what's going on. Tony Gilroy, screenwriter of the "Bourne" adventures, makes his writing/directing debut with a throwback to trim, intelligent moral thrillers like "The ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Minneapolis Star Tribune (--)
Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)
It barrels through its formulaic story and clichéd elements with its outstanding cast leading the way." ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)
Salt Lake Tribune (Sean Means)
[Gilroy] ratchets the tension so imperceptibly... that you don't notice how taut the action is. That is, until you notice your fingernails are embedded in the armrest. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Salt Lake Tribune (Sean Means)
Hollywood.com (Kit Bowen)
Think The Insider meets Erin Brockovich. George Clooney plays the title character, a lawyer who, instead of practicing law, has become an in-house “fixer” at one of the largest corporate law firms in New York. Any little nasty detail they want swept ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Hollywood.com (Kit Bowen)
Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)
With Clooney in the driver's seat, the film tumbles forward in a snapping elastic band of tension and shuddering revelations. The movie starts off grippingly and only grows more intense and thrilling. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)
eFilmCritic.com (Brian Orndorf)
Hate the rest of the film, but I can't imagine anyone stepping outside of the theater and thinking Clooney's monumental work lacks absolute fire. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at eFilmCritic.com (Brian Orndorf)
About.com (Rebecca Murray)
Michael Clayton may be his first film as a director, but here's hoping it's not (Tony) Gilroy's last. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at About.com (Rebecca Murray)
UGO (Brian Tallerico)
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. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at UGO (Brian Tallerico)
Preview Family Movie Review
With its insightful, nonlinear script coupled with trenchant dialogue, engaging directing and masterful performing, Michael Clayton is a masterpiece. That is said from an appreciation of the film’s artistic and technical merits. Alas, my appreciation is ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Preview Family Movie Review
Killer Movie Reviews (Andrea Chase)
Village Voice (Robert Wilonsky)
It will no doubt be said time and again of Michael Clayton : best John Grisham adaptation ever . ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Village Voice (Robert Wilonsky)
Entertainment Weekly (Owen Gleiberman)
When critics complain about the dumbing down of movies into franchise popcorn, what we're really doing is yearning for a terrifically engrossing, tethered-to-the-real-world drama like Michael Clayton. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Entertainment Weekly (Owen Gleiberman)
The Sydney Morning Herald
A beautiful scene early in Michael Clayton is hard to understand. That's a good thing: it tells us to sharpen up, watch more closely. Not everything is going to be on the surface. From this moment, we know it's a movie for adults.
George Clooney, as ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at The Sydney Morning Herald
Film Blather (Eugene Novikov)
Unlikely and eerily realistic at the same time. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Film Blather (Eugene Novikov)
efilmcritic.com (Peter Sobczynski)
A taut, exciting and thoughtful legal thriller that is so smartly conceived and executed that to merely call it a "legal thriller" almost sounds demeaning. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at efilmcritic.com (Peter Sobczynski)
New York Magazine (David Edelstein)
Clooney is as good as he has ever been. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at New York Magazine (David Edelstein)
Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
George Clooney brings a slick, ruthless force to the title role of "Michael Clayton," playing a fixer for a powerful law firm. He works in the shadows, cleaning up messes, and he is a realist. He tells clients what they don't want to hear. He shoots down ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
USA Today (Claudia Puig)
This is unequivocally a thriller for adults ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at USA Today (Claudia Puig)
E! Online (Alex Markerson)
Michael Clayton is an assured, intelligent thriller, the kind that never depends on clunky exposition and differentiates its heroes and villains only by the choices they make during the film. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at E! Online (Alex Markerson)
The Providence Journal (Michael Janusonis)
Let us return momentarily to the heyday of ’70s film, a hothouse of conspiracy and nefarious plots. The nasty shadow of Vietnam and Watergate flickered on the screen, where someone was always listening in (The Conversation) or killing off (The Parallax ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at The Providence Journal (Michael Janusonis)
Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
It is just about perfect as an exercise in the genre. I've seen it twice, and the second time, knowing everything that would happen, I found it just as fascinating because of how well it was all shown happening. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)
In Michael Clayton, the searing directorial debut of screenwriter Tony Gilroy, Clooney looks tired. Erased from his visage are the confident swagger of Danny Ocean and the comical pompousness of Everett McGill, replaced by dark circles under his eyes and ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)
Modern Fabulousity (Gabriel Shanks)
In some scenes, Clayton is the kick in the pants the whodunit genre desperately needs ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Modern Fabulousity (Gabriel Shanks)
EricDSnider.com (Eric D. Snider)
Self-effacing, quick with a joke, and refreshingly unpretentious, George Clooney is Hollywood's happy-go-lucky poster boy these days. He tosses off lighthearted fare like "Ocean's Thirteen" just because he enjoys doing it, and then he does something like ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at EricDSnider.com (Eric D. Snider)
Beaumont Journal (Danny Minton)
Clooney makes a poor replacement for Julia Roberts. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Beaumont Journal (Danny Minton)
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies (Nell Minow)
George Clooney just keeps getting better and better. His performance here is rich and deep and layered, and seeing him work through his range of reactions is enormously moving. It provides a strong center for the legal thriller swirling around him. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies (Nell Minow)
Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus (Bryant Frazer)
Think of this intense drama about corporate shenanigans as the capper to a George Clooney trilogy about duty, ethics and professionalism. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus (Bryant Frazer)
RogerEbert.com (Jim Emerson)
...the kind of smart, crisp, 'serious' mainstream entertainment that gives Hollywood (or the part of it influenced by George Clooney) a good name. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at RogerEbert.com (Jim Emerson)
Onion AV Club (Nathan Rabin)
In an accomplished directorial debut, Gilroy gives the film a shadowy, autumnal hue and combines image and sound in sometimes surprising and ingenious ways. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Onion AV Club (Nathan Rabin)
Financial Times (Martin Hoyle)
A potentially corny plot is stylishly executed, abetted by a perfect cast. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Financial Times (Martin Hoyle)
ColeSmithey.com (Cole Smithey)
"Michael Clayton" is an up-to-the-minute allegory about the devastating power and malicious intent of a corporation that conceals its unethical actions with television commercials featuring close-ups of verdant nature. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at ColeSmithey.com (Cole Smithey)
Seattle Post-Intelligencer (William Arnold)
Though the film ultimately bows to the smiley-face demands of the New Millennium box office, it manages to be a spellbinding action-drama, skillfully built upon a scary corporate conspiracy, chock-full of enjoyable downbeat performances. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Seattle Post-Intelligencer (William Arnold)
Hollywood Report Card (Ross Anthony)
Actually, this type of story is nothing new, but the angle here is very interesting. Clooney plays a legal "Fixer," a sort of consultant to a high-powered law firm, who is first on the scene to assess and call in the right players. But the film spends ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Hollywood Report Card (Ross Anthony)
Empire Movies (Erin Cullin)
In 1760 B.C., King Hammurabi set the Hammurabi Code to stone and posted it in a town marketplace in ancient Babylon. I have no doubt that, the following day, the first ancient lawyer came strolling into the marketplace, trying to find ways to test the ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Empire Movies (Erin Cullin)
Lobo Howls (Judith Wolfe)
I will not be evasive about this one. I loved this film. It is intelligent, stylish, tense, dark, well written, has great acting and it's icy blue canvas chills you to the bone. This is the debut directorial piece of Tony Gilroy who also wrote the ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Lobo Howls (Judith Wolfe)
Monsters and Critics (Ron Wilkinson)
Failing fixer Clooney is great but has to fight for center stage next to supporting actress Tilda Swinton as the ethically maimed corporate attorney. Add Tom Wilkinson, Sydney Pollock and a dynamite screenplay and we have the thriller of year. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Monsters and Critics (Ron Wilkinson)
ReelTalk Movie Reviews (Jeffrey Chen)
[Gilroy] shows that it's interesting to see how much suspense can be generated when one decides to do the right thing, simply because the forces at large will do everything they can to prevent it. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at ReelTalk Movie Reviews (Jeffrey Chen)
Window to the Movies (Jeffrey Chen)
It's good to see new directors land on the scene with some display of confidence. Such is the case with Tony Gilroy and his Michael Clayton. The film is somewhat of a throwback to the old paranoid corporate thrillers, but right away Gilroy makes it his ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Window to the Movies (Jeffrey Chen)
Soundtrack.net
If one word could be used to describe James Newton Howard's score for Michael Clayton, "ethereal" comes to mind. It is a very free and open score. A good chunk of it is electronic in nature with the other half being somewhat traditional orchestration. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Soundtrack.net
El Criticon (Antonio Mendez Casanova)
Michael Clayton (George Clooney), miembro de un bufete de abogados de Nueva York, se involucra en el caso de una multinacional quÃmica que ha podido provocar la intoxicación de múltiples granjeros, un pleito que parece haber llevado a la locura al ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at El Criticon (Antonio Mendez Casanova)
Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)
Out-Grishams Grisham at his own game, thanks to an engaging plot, fine acting and a pleasing twist at the end. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)
Spectrum (St. George, Utah) (Bruce Bennett)
Michael Clayton wants it both ways. It requires smarts to understand what's going on, and a lack of smarts to care and not be able to predict the outcome. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Spectrum (St. George, Utah) (Bruce Bennett)
Nick's Flick Picks (Nick Davis)
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. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Nick's Flick Picks (Nick Davis)
Toronto Star (Geoff Pevere)
The unravelling of George Clooney in Michael Clayton is a mesmerizing thing to behold.
Playing an indebted, divorced and morally stricken "janitor" for a top Manhattan corporate law firm – who is introduced to us as he's summoned to attend to a ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Toronto Star (Geoff Pevere)
Movie-Vault.com (LaRae Meadows)
Michael Clayton is the fast paced legal, corporate greed and assassination thriller that starts and ends with a bang. Michael Clayton sizzles with skin crawling gluttony, blood moving action and overflows with tragic characters.
Michael Clayton ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Movie-Vault.com (LaRae Meadows)
Plugged In
Michael Clayton
Erin Brockovich meets The Firm in the taut, character-driven legal drama Michael Clayton. In the title role, George Clooney is a "fixer" for a powerful New York City law firm. He cleans up legal messes. The latest fiasco ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Plugged In
Film Journal International (Daniel Eagan)
Tightly plotted, expertly acted, Michael Clayton is a challenging, satisfying corporate thriller about a disillusioned lawyer forced to confront the compromises in his life. As brisk and ruthless as the attorneys it portrays, the film presents a vivid, ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Film Journal International (Daniel Eagan)
Philadelphia Weekly (Sean Burns)
This, ladies and gentlemen, is a Movie Star. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Philadelphia Weekly (Sean Burns)
Film Scouts (Jason Gorber)
A story rich in ideas that doesn't blow valuable time proselytizing its message. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Film Scouts (Jason Gorber)
Hollywood Reporter (Kirk Honeycutt)
As with the Bourne films, Gilroy has a knack for creating strong characters and situations that resonate with tension. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Hollywood Reporter (Kirk Honeycutt)
EmanuelLevy.com (Emanuel Levy)
Modeled after intelligent, character-driven conspiracy melodramas of the 1970s, Tony Gilory's feature debut is a rather compelling if also familiar and old-fashioned saga in both the positive and negative senses of these terms. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at EmanuelLevy.com (Emanuel Levy)
Washington Post (Ann Hornaday)
This uncommonly intelligent thriller evokes the great films of the 1970s ( All the President's Men, Klute, Three Days of the Condor ) that managed to elicit gritty urban realism while maintaining a suave sense of style and moral complexity. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Washington Post (Ann Hornaday)
L.A. Weekly (Ella Taylor)
This loving throwback to the paranoid thrillers of the ’70s is a beauty. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at L.A. Weekly (Ella Taylor)
Reeling Reviews (Robin Clifford)
...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. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Reeling Reviews (Robin Clifford)
Associated Press (Christy Lemire)
...sharp writing from Tony Gilroy and an intelligent, subtly powerful performance from George Clooney. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Associated Press (Christy Lemire)
Dallas Morning News (Chris Vognar)
If Michael Clayton 's particular mix of law and commerce gets a little murky, that murkiness also gives the film a shadowy aura. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Dallas Morning News (Chris Vognar)
The New York Times
Dark in color, mood and outraged worldview, “Michael Clayton” is a film that speaks to the way we live now. Or at least, the way certain masters of the universe do, as they prowl the jungle in their sleek rides, armed with killer ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at The New York Times
The Cinema Source (Michael M. Dance)
I love that my job is to write about movies, but since movies can be about anything, that gets me into trouble sometimes. Take Michael Clayton. Here's a movie that takes place in the world of giant law firms and bigger corporations, a world I know ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at The Cinema Source (Michael M. Dance)
San Francisco Chronicle
George Clooney constitutes at least half of what makes "Michael Clayton" worth seeing. The film, a moody suspense drama, has a slow build and a strong payoff, but Clooney is the element that holds it together, that provides the mystery and the interest. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at San Francisco Chronicle
Compuserve (Harvey S. Karten)
Melodramatic in tone, complex in thought, this 'Clayton' is a thinking person's John Grisham. ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Compuserve (Harvey S. Karten)
ShowBIZ Data
Michael Clayton has garnered the strongest reviews of the season in the cities where it opened. Roger Ebert gave it a four-star review in the Chicago Sun-Times, writing "It is just about perfect as an exercise in the [legal/business thriller] genre. I've ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at ShowBIZ Data
About.com Hollywood Movies (Rebecca Murray)
Tony Gilroy, the screenwriter responsible for the Bourne movies, makes his feature film directorial debut with the intense and riveting drama, Michael Clayton. Gilroy does a fantastic job of creatively exposing the shady underbelly of the corporate world ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at About.com Hollywood Movies (Rebecca Murray)
Reel Film Reviews (David Nusair)
The directorial debut of noted screenwriter Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton stars Gorge Clooney as the title character - a "fixer" for a prestigious law firm who finds himself in a whole mess of trouble after a colleague (Tom Wilkinson) puts a lucrative ...read the complete Michael Clayton movie review at Reel Film Reviews (David Nusair)
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