Michael Clayton
for language including some sexual dialogue.
Reviewed by: Jeanne Sockwell McRorey
CONTRIBUTOR
| Moral Rating: | Very Offensive |
| Moviemaking Quality: |
|
| Primary Audience: | Adults |
| Genre: | Thriller Drama |
| Length: | 1 hr. 59 min. |
| Year of Release: | 2007 |
| USA Release: |
October 12, 2007 (wide) October 5, 2007 (limited) |
| Featuring | George Clooney, Sean Cullen, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, Sydney Pollack, Michael O'Keefe, Ken Howard, Denis O'Hare, Robert Prescott, Austin Williams, Merritt Wever, David Lansbury, Bill Raymond, David Zayas, Skipp Sudduth |
| Director | Tony Gilroy (“The Bourne Supremacy” / “The Bourne Identity” / “Armageddon”) |
| Producer | Steve Samuels, George Clooney, Steven Soderbergh |
| Distributor |
 Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company |
“The Truth Can Be Adjusted.”
Proverbs 6:16-19 says it all:
“These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him. These are: a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.”
“Michael Clayton” covers every one of them.
Adults only on this one. The R-rating is well deserved for violence, STRONG language, adult content. The first scenes cannot be missed, so don’t tarry at the concession stand and don’t plan on leaving for the next 2 hours. And, stay for the first part of the ending credits, because the actual film continues for a bit.
THE TRUTH CAN BE ADJUSTED is the tagline for George Cooney’s (“Ocean Eleven,” “…Twelve” and “…Thirteen,” “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”) character Michael Clayton. He is a top-notch lawyer with a high-profile law firm, but for the last 15-odd years has been the company “fixer”—he cleans-up messy details of the firm’s clients whether it be “shoplifting wives to bent congressmen.” A janitor, basically.
We meet the movie’s namesake in present time and then go back 4 months. We find out how Michael’s life has disintegrated: divorce and debt, sibling turmoil, plus pressure on the job to be everything to everybody.
Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson of “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” “The Importance of Being Earnest”) is senior litigating partner at Kenner, Bach and Ledeen. Edens has discovered a document that had been lost in the shuffle of papers during the 8-year litigation with their client U-North. This company has Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton of “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” and “The Beach”), their powerful and unscrupulous in-house counsel. 450 people convinced that the company is responsible for sickness and many deaths are suing u-North for a mega-million dollar settlement. Arthur is, we discover, bipolar and currently off his meds. He is engaged in the legal proceedings with the clients and “snaps”—goes into uncontrolled rambling of the case and suddenly, he strips off all of his clothes. This is recorded on camera (camera-phone?) and sent to the firm. Michael is sent to “fix this problem.”
It’s a downhill spiral from here. Not the movie; the characters IN the movie. The movie is shot in very dark tones. Each character has their demons and we have a front seat to big business corruption, deceit, bribery, and all general descriptions of rottenness. Karen talks of “getting rid of” problems (people) like she’s ordering a grocery list. She has the art of deception so fine-tuned it is basically who she is. Michael is deep in doom for family, job and his loan shark. He knows he can handle everything because he has done it for so long. But now he’s breaking down along with his world.
It is always heartwarming to see a character played so well that you actually wish you could help. George Clooney carries this movie, but Tom Wilkerson is the one to watch for a nomination for an award for his character.
Language is the most objectionable part of the movie. The f-word is used as an adjective. In the strip scene, body parts are blurred. Karen dresses before you (tastefully) as she prepares for dissertation.
Oscar Wilde said, “Life imitates art far more than art imitates Life.” Here, I believe Art imitates Life. Success in life is a wonderful thing to achieve. But if you’ve lost your Soul getting there, it is quite a disillusion.
Violence: Heavy / Profanity: Extreme / Sex/Nudity: Minor
See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.
Offensive / 4
Being separate from the world involves some decisions. Being free of sins deep polluting effects does not simply involve a cutesy “sorry Jesus,” and then back you are in the muck for more the next film. I’m sure many of you have tried that. How’d it work for you?! Being clean and staying in a spiritual state prepared for heaven and glory takes separation from things that can severely pollute. This film is one that does just that—it will seduce and pollute you. Hey, but you’ll be distracted for an evening of pleasure and mystery. But then isn’t that what life is about? Just killing time wading purposefully into the muck, self indulgent pleasure, distracting ourselves from emptiness until Jesus comes back for a filthy bride?
I’m challenged, I try to avoid these kind of films and find a life in Jesus. There really is one you know. It just takes more faith and effort to find than paying 11 bucks, plunking your starving soul down in front of the worlds window to hell, and having another go. Don’t you think? The life in Christ involves a real genuine faith. This world certainly challenges that faith at every hand. Modern cinema challenges it to the hilt! Recently I’ve been challenged by the warning the Lord gives concerning the end times (we’re in it), 'men will be lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God' And 'when the Lord comes, will He really find faith on the Earth?'
Well, that’s for you and me to determine, personally, for our own lives', who are you, who do you live for, what is your inner sync? Is my life about a constant sensationalistic appetite for more and more pleasure, an unceasing pursuit with a hunger that is never satisfied for more? Does this sound to you like a person prepared to meet God, or a “pilgrim” like those who Hebrews 11 says are the real people of the real faith? Or do you think your life reflects more that of those who Jesus said would be like foolish virgins, or those who simply called Him Lord in word only, unprepared for his return, not seeking heaven truly, living for the now?
Very Offensive / 3½
As a believer I regreted and endured the 15 “F” bombs in this film. From a truth standpoint the characters 'reaped what they sowed'-from Cooneys character who is living on the ragged edge to the ones who are destroying lives and ultimately get their just deserts in the end. This is a good, thought provoking movie.
Average / 4½
Average / 4
Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
The big and bad, the lawyers, the corporations, and those that do their work behind-the-scenes; Michael Clayton, an in-house fixer at a large law-firm, is one of those behind-the-scenes, the “janitor.”
This movie is a very different one, and grabs your attention from the beginning. With such stars as George Clooney and Sidney Pollack, and Tony Gilroy as the director and writer, many expectations can be put on this film. These expectations come through, though. I expect this film to recieve at least one nomination.
The way this movie approaches characters is very interesting, as they are shown in their weakest of moments and in their worst state of mind. Michael Clayton takes a stand on corruption, as in Syriana, another Clooney film. The plot thickens slowly throughout the film, up until the breathtaking climax. It’s not a simple plot to follow, however, nor is it one that leaves you on the edge of your seat as other typical “thrillers” do. Instead Michael Clayton spins its web meticulously. For the typical movie-goer expecting pure entertainment, and not liking a movie in which much thinking is necessary, this is a hard movie to keep up with. One must especially pay attention to the logical flow of events. I believe Christian adults seeing this film will appreciate this, if they take the energy to stay with it and mind the constant language, which is rather sexual and explicit at times. The R-rating truly is deserved, but this movie is worth seeing. It’s a movie that gets you thinking about the issues addressed in it, and hopefully after seeing it, it will raise discussion’s on them.
Very Offensive / 4½
My Ratings: Offensive / 5