'Michael Clayton' thrills audiences
Critic's Corner
By DNA Smith

George Clooney stars as a prestigious lawyer in "Michael Clayton."

"Michael Clayton"
Running Time: 120
minutes
MPAA rating: R

When I saw the poster and previews for "Michael Clayton," I had no idea what this movie was supposed to be about. In fact, it looked kind of dull. But, I'm a fan of George Clooney, so I took a chance.

I'm glad I did. "Michael Clayton" is one of the better dramas I've seen this year. It's well-written, the performances are great and the direction is top-notch.

Clooney stars as Michael Clayton, a "janitor" for a prestigious New York law firm. Whenever a high-profile client gets in trouble, Clayton is called in to clean up the mess by whatever means necessary.

Clayton gets a call because another "janitor" in his firm who has been representing a major chemical company has gone crazy and stripped naked during a deposition. It turns out that the chemical company is fighting a classaction lawsuit because it has been selling a farming chemical that it knows causes cancer. The crazy lawyer has in his possession a confidential internal memo confirming this, and if made public, it could destroy the company.

Tilda Swinton plays an executive for the chemical company. She doesn't have faith in Clayton's firm to adequately represent her company, so she hires a couple "janitors" of her own. Serious men. Men who have no reservations about taking a life (or lives) if it means their clients get off squeaky clean.

"Michael Clayton" was written and directed by Tony Gilroy, the screenwriter of the Bourne films. Gilroy knows how to build a taut thriller, and for his first time in the director's chair he does a great job in keeping the story moving.

If you were like me and confused by the film's marketing of this movie, do yourself a favor and check out "Michael Clayton." I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by how good it is.

GRADE: B+ (c) 2007 King Features Synd., Inc.