Michael Clayton

Tony Gilroy's (screenplay for the Bournes, The Devil's Advocate, etc.) much lauded directorial debut stars George Clooney as Michael Clayton, a "fixer" for one of the most powerful law firms in the world. What is a "fixer?" Well, when there is any type of situation that goes awry (whether it be a client or a lawyer), Clayton takes care of it by any means necessary. He is creative, smooth-talking, and bold. Some call him a miracle-worker, but we may see him as a master manipulator. He calls himself a janitor, cleaning up other people's messes.

The central problem of the film that Michael must fix is Arthur Edens (played wonderfully by one of the most underrated actors going today - Tom Wilkinson). You see, Edens is the lead defense attourney for a multi-billion dollar lawsuit against mega-corporation UNorth. The lawsuit involves over 450 individuals, claiming that UNorth's product, a pesticide, has killed their loved ones. But instead of defending his uber-rich client, Edens begins acting strange and compiling facts against his employer. He is convinced that the claimants deserve to be paid, that UNorth is covering something up. But what brings this change of heart for Edens? And is he right, or just crazy? (He exhibits some insane behavior, including stripping down and yelling "I love you" to a young girl during a deposition). Edens lives in a world where the dollar is truly almighty, and "the truth can be adjusted." He has been working on this case non-stop for six years. But he starts to have this feeling that what he is doing is wrong. There is this peculiar scene near the middle of the film where Clayton's son, Henry, calls for his dad, but gets Edens instead. Henry ends up telling Edens all about his favorite fantasy book, Realm and Conquest. I believe Edens wanted to do the right thing, but the only one in his world who believed that people actually do the right thing and that heroes exist was Henry. Henry believes in stories, he believes that right and wrong exist and that money does not rule everything. And through the words of a child, a super-laywer is inspired to change his life. It reaffirms the fact that stories have power, real life-changing power. That, in effect is the whole point of this blog, to remind us of that fact. It also reminds me of that bumper sticker, "Believe the Children."

Though Edens is the most fascinating man in the film, let's get back to the main character. There is a scene at the beginning of the film when Clayton sees some horses high atop a hill, gets out of his car, walks up to the horses, and seems to have a religious moment. But it takes the whole film to explain this scene (clue: it has something to do with Realm and Conquest, another reference to the power of story). It is truly an existential moment in Clayton's life. He is asking to himself "Who am I? What have I missed? What am I doing with my life? And why?" I won't give away what leads up to this, and his actions that follow, but this moment is the centerpiece of the film. The final scene of the movie is Clayton riding around in a cab, not knowing where to go. He jsut hands the cabbie $50 and just tells him to drive around. This confirms that fact that he is questioning his whole existence, his entire life. Where do I go now?

Michael Clayton is a beautifully shot, wonderfully acted thinking man's law thriller. At the same time, it is an examination and indictment of the way we live our lives here in a capitalist society. It reminds us to reflect upon our own lives. We should continually ask the question: Who am I? And what am I doing with my life, with my time here on earth?