The SBP Archives - Your less than frequent dose of SBP!

Michael Clayton is the story of the title character who's dubs himself "a janitor", someone who cleans up messes for his law firm when their clients get themselves in trouble. He's a 45 year-old who realizes he doesn't have much to show for his life. He seems morally ambiguous, knowing most of the clientele he works for are guilty but still pay his bills. His values come into question when a corporation is on trial for breaching environmental laws while one of the senior partners goes bipolar and provides the plaintiffs with the evidence they need to win the case. The irony being once he stops taking his medication he's technically insane, but he's doing the right thing. Clayton is a good friend of his, and wants to help him. But he's not so quick to tread over the law firm he works for. The rest I could tell you would be a spoiler, so I'll leave it at that.

It's very hard to convince the public to see a film revolving around people wearing suits with crisp haircuts and carrying briefcases. The title, Michael Clayton, doesn't sound particularly engrossing and indeed George Clooney's visage on the poster looks like an ad about taking advantage of the Bernstein advantage. But it's a drama that actually turns into a thriller in some parts. It's very engaging, well-paced, well written and has some terrific acting it, headed of course by George Clooney himself.

In his earlier days, I wasn't much of a Clooney fan. His first big screen movies: The Peacemaker, One Fine Day, Batman & Robin...by-the-numbers productions done just for a pay cheque. But instead of just looking to headline the latest summer blockbuster, he's decided to be involved with projects that are more personal and meaningful. Sure, he'll still show up in the latest Ocean's 11 sequel once in a while to remind the mass audiences he's still around. But as time goes on and movies fade from memory, well-crafted films like Three Kings and Good Night & Good Luck will be remembered. Even if you didn't like a particular project (Solaris comes to mind as one many loathed) at least Clooney is willing to roll the dice and try material that's a little different and original. Put it this way: When was the last time we've seen Vin Diesel take a chance? Michael Clayton is a smart movie that will no doubt enjoy some Oscar attention this season.