Michael Clayton is a 2007 thriller about a law firm that brings in its “fixer” to remedy the situation after a lawyer has a breakdown while representing a chemical company.
You probably don’t know the name Tony Gilroy, but you really ought to. He’s a screenwriter behind such great films like the first four Bourne movies, Dolores Claiborne, Rogue One, and Armageddon (okay, not all great). He also wrote and directed Michael Clayton, a sizzling legal thriller that won its co-star Tilda Swinton an Academy Award. It stars George Clooney as the titular Michael, a “fixer” at a big law firm who has a long history of using his power to get clients out of trouble. When a bigwig name on their firm’s list seems to go a little bananas at a deposition involving a multibillion-dollar agricultural products corporation, Clayton comes in to investigate, uncovering a massive conspiracy that puts his own life in danger. Swinton is Karen Crowder, general counsel for the nefarious company, a powerful but aggressive attorney willing to do anything to win, but is suffering for it. One of the most affecting films in the genre in decades, this is a must see drama that still has great impact. Don’t hesitate.
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