In New York, the divorced attorney Michael Clayton (George Clooney) has been working for many years fixing messy situations for the law firm Kenner, Back and Odeen. He has never been invited to become a partner due to his conflictive personality of poker gambler and alcoholic that left him completely broken. Michael's addicted brother owes a high amount to a dangerous loan shark and Michael is trying to find a means to cover the debts. When the brilliant attorney Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson) that has been ahead of the U-North case, a complicated three billion dollars lawsuit, for six years has a nervous breakdown and is arrested naked in a parking area in Milwaukee, Michael tries to help his friend, and is involved in an evil scheme plotted by Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton), the legal counsel of U-North.
The low-paced "Michael Clayton" is a good but overrated thriller tailored for George Clooney, who is perfect performing his complex and ambiguous character. I believe that the excessive nominations to the Oscar show the lack of good movies in Hollywood. The excellent actress Tilda Swinton has another excellent performance in the role of the villain Karen Crowder. However, I am not sure whether I was not paying much attention, but I found the screenplay confused and in the end something was missing to make "Michael Clayton" a great movie. Further, I did not understand the need of a bomb in Michael's car; the killers were very effective and why using a sophisticated electronic apparatus to kill the attorney? My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Conduta de Risco" ("Conduct of Risk")
The low-paced "Michael Clayton" is a good but overrated thriller tailored for George Clooney, who is perfect performing his complex and ambiguous character. I believe that the excessive nominations to the Oscar show the lack of good movies in Hollywood. The excellent actress Tilda Swinton has another excellent performance in the role of the villain Karen Crowder. However, I am not sure whether I was not paying much attention, but I found the screenplay confused and in the end something was missing to make "Michael Clayton" a great movie. Further, I did not understand the need of a bomb in Michael's car; the killers were very effective and why using a sophisticated electronic apparatus to kill the attorney? My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Conduta de Risco" ("Conduct of Risk")