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Michael Clayton

  • 2007
  • R
  • 1h 59m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
179K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,295
350
George Clooney in Michael Clayton (2007)
Home Video Trailer from Warner Bros. Pictures
Play trailer0:31
18 Videos
99+ Photos
Legal ThrillerCrimeDramaMysteryThriller

A law firm brings in its "fixer" to remedy the situation after a lawyer has a breakdown while representing a chemical company that he knows is guilty in a multibillion-dollar class action su... Read allA law firm brings in its "fixer" to remedy the situation after a lawyer has a breakdown while representing a chemical company that he knows is guilty in a multibillion-dollar class action suit.A law firm brings in its "fixer" to remedy the situation after a lawyer has a breakdown while representing a chemical company that he knows is guilty in a multibillion-dollar class action suit.

  • Director
    • Tony Gilroy
  • Writer
    • Tony Gilroy
  • Stars
    • George Clooney
    • Tilda Swinton
    • Tom Wilkinson
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.2/10
    179K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    1,295
    350
    • Director
      • Tony Gilroy
    • Writer
      • Tony Gilroy
    • Stars
      • George Clooney
      • Tilda Swinton
      • Tom Wilkinson
    • 460User reviews
    • 306Critic reviews
    • 82Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 28 wins & 114 nominations total

    Videos18

    Michael Clayton
    Trailer 0:31
    Michael Clayton
    Michael Clayton
    Clip 1:12
    Michael Clayton
    Michael Clayton
    Clip 1:12
    Michael Clayton
    Michael Clayton
    Clip 0:46
    Michael Clayton
    Michael Clayton
    Clip 1:25
    Michael Clayton
    Michael Clayton
    Clip 0:50
    Michael Clayton
    Michael Clayton
    Clip 1:09
    Michael Clayton

    Photos133

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    + 129
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    Top cast73

    Edit
    George Clooney
    George Clooney
    • Michael Clayton
    Tilda Swinton
    Tilda Swinton
    • Karen Crowder
    Tom Wilkinson
    Tom Wilkinson
    • Arthur Edens
    Michael O'Keefe
    Michael O'Keefe
    • Barry Grissom
    Sydney Pollack
    Sydney Pollack
    • Marty Bach
    Danielle Skraastad
    Danielle Skraastad
    • Bridget Klein
    • (voice)
    Wai Chan
    • Chinese Dealer
    Alberto Vazquez
    Alberto Vazquez
    • Player #1
    Brian Koppelman
    Brian Koppelman
    • Player #2
    Tom McCarthy
    Tom McCarthy
    • Walter
    • (voice)
    Denis O'Hare
    Denis O'Hare
    • Mr. Greer
    Julie White
    Julie White
    • Mrs. Greer
    Austin Williams
    Austin Williams
    • Henry Clayton
    Jennifer Van Dyck
    Jennifer Van Dyck
    • Ivy
    Frank Wood
    Frank Wood
    • Gerald
    Richard Hecht
    Richard Hecht
    • Auctioneer
    Bill Raymond
    Bill Raymond
    • Gabe Zabel
    Jonathan Walker
    Jonathan Walker
    • Del
    • (voice)
    • Director
      • Tony Gilroy
    • Writer
      • Tony Gilroy
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews460

    7.2179.3K
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    Featured reviews

    10rich-rossi-50

    Fantastic Dialogue, Story, and Acting

    There aren't many movies that I enjoy watching twice or more, this is certainly one of them. This is in the running to be my favorite movie of all time. This movie can be hard to follow, and can seem vulgar at times, but in reality the dialogue has a higher purpose: to illustrate how we can get lost in our personal objectives and lose track of the bigger picture. The majority of characters in this movie don't fall into the "good guy", "bad guy" category, they are various shades of gray, just like real people. If one puts themselves in the shoes of the characters, their actions are plausible and consistent with reality. If you don't want to have your brain challenged by a time-line that bounces around and a complicated story that requires the viewer to put the pieces together you might want to save this for another night, but don't miss it, it's an incredible piece of writing and filmmaking.
    9transcendingpictures

    The best film of 2007

    This film marks an incredible directorial debut for Tony Gilroy. He was an accomplished screenwriter - and his script for MC is immaculate - but his direction was inspired with confidence and craftsmanship. Immaculate performances across the board - especially from Tilda Swinton and Tom Wilkinson. Masterful storytelling and nearly perfect execution. The look and feel of the world was perfectly calibrated. It's one of the those films that gets even stronger with age. There's so much happening in his film, to re-watch is overcome with revelations. I love this film so much. I really wish they made films this smart and well-crafted more often these days. It's just not the kind of film that movie studios care to make anymore. Sadly.
    6John K.-2

    Good film, but not for everyone

    This is a well-made suspense film. It builds slowly, it features the key characters in sometimes agonising close-up, it weaves an intricate plot (a bit too intricate, in hindsight -- I'm still not sure why some events were included), and George Clooney is masterful as the morally conflicted character who does his best to hold his collapsing life together, while slowly realising that his role in life is not quite what he thought it was in any case.

    There are some things this film is not. It's not an action film ... if you expect that, it will seem very slow. It's not a warm and friendly film that leaves you feeling good about the world -- it was shot in winter, just to emphasise its coldness. It's not a comedy in any way, not even through being over-the-top. It's reality rather than escapism.

    If you like suspense, unflinching realism, stories of moral conflict, criticisms of corporate America, or George Clooney -- or if you're just in the mood to see that kind of film -- you'll love it. If you're in the mood for a film to wash away the cares of the day (as I was), choose something else.
    8MovieZoo

    Michael Clayton is all about the people

    In a world over-run by corporations and lawyers, the little man rarely wins. It takes a big man to keep that world in order. But sometimes another big man comes along to show who really is the big man. Or is it a woman? That said, no big man would exist without the little man - the outsider.

    While you can watch this movie and see a good story develop, the story makes an interesting shift. The people become the story once the initial story has laid to bare the reason for the peoples' existence.

    I enjoyed it for that very reason. The characters were all extremely interesting thanks to great performances by everyone. Clooney, Wilkinson, Pollack and especially Tilda Swinton(White Witch from Narnia) - I am in love with her acting ability. I will be doing some back-tracking to catch up on what I have missed from her. In Narnia, she was deliciously evil and in Clayton, she couldn't be any worse at being evil, but that was her character. It was fun to watch how she made weakness such a strength.

    Wilkinson is such an all around great actor and makes his character seem lovable although pitiful and downright nasty for reasons I won't bring up here. Wilkinson definitely delivers.

    Clooney provided the best performance in a long time. I think Clooney has long been an interesting performer but this role is just one of his best - dedicated, sometimes mysterious, loving and charming; even funny and sad.

    You may look for more in the story line but you may miss the best part if you don't accept that the people are the story once the movie gets rolling.

    8 of 10
    8nimstic

    Terrfic writing - thrilling from start to finish

    Came here to write a review to this excellent film. Wonderfully written by Tony Gilroy. I have not seen any of his earlier/or later works except Duplicity, which to me was a pretty average film. Everyone in MC are top of the line pros - Tilda Swindon, Tom Wilkinson, Sidney Pollack and George Clooney, doing what he does best. The story is cleverly written, adapted in a tight and flawless manner. Surprised by the lower rating here. For me a good 8/10. Yes, it has an interesting ending but that doesn't do justice to the excellent journey the film takes you on from start to finish. If you enjoy edgy, legal thrillers, get yourself going with it. I've watched after an article on Atlantic describing it as a treatise on human soul's intense cry for help today. We all want something about this world to desperately change but we see it turning against us with more intensity the more we think about it.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In a November 2020 interview, George Clooney stated that the case in the film, while about a completely different industry, was based on the Ford Pinto case, where it wasn't that Ford had a car that was unsafe, but that an internal memo showed that they had calculated the cost of recall versus the individual suits from people being killed in the car, and determined it was cheaper to pay off claims and not do the recall.
    • Goofs
      When Clayton first gets the booklet from the print shop, it has a black plastic binding. Later, the binding changes to wire.
    • Quotes

      Michael Clayton: I'm not the guy you kill. I'm the guy you buy! Are you so fucking blind that you don't even see what I am? I sold out Arthur for 80 grand. I'm your easiest problem and you're gonna kill me?

    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: The Kingdom/Trade/The Game Plan/Feast of Love/The Darjeeling Limited/Lust, Caution (2007)
    • Soundtracks
      The Thought of You
      Written by Edwina Travis Chin (as Edwina Travis-Chin)

      Provided by APM Music

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    FAQ23

    • How long is Michael Clayton?Powered by Alexa
    • Is the plot of Michael Clayton based on any pre-existing publication such as book or other medium?
    • What is a fixer? What is Michael Clayton's job?
    • What's the point of the restaurant? What happened?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 12, 2007 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • CMC (Taiwan)
      • Official Facebook
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Luật Sư Phá Án
    • Filming locations
      • Cornwall, New York, USA
    • Production companies
      • Samuels Media
      • Castle Rock Entertainment
      • Mirage Enterprises
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $25,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $49,033,882
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $719,910
      • Oct 7, 2007
    • Gross worldwide
      • $92,991,835
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 59 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • SDDS
      • Dolby Digital
      • DTS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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