78 MICHAEL CLAYTON 2007
BREAKING down to brass tacks, it goes a little like this: a hotshot lawyer, who has lost his way, finds himself. Ugh. No thank you. We’ve had quite enough of those and, besides, what could possibly top, say, ? Well, thankfully, writer-director Tony Gilroy and star George Clooney — the men responsible for breaking down to brass tacks — clearly agree and, as a result, is much more than that. It’s not a legal thriller in the true sense of the term — there isn’t a courtroom in sight — but rather a character study of the eponymous Clayton, a fixer at a high-powered law firm who’s reached a crossroads in his life. Not because of a great ethical conflict or a sudden epiphany about the worth of what he does — those both come later — but because he’s massively in debt and suddenly concerned about his job security. Upon this Gilroy skilfully peels back Clayton’s armour, pricking his conscience via his exposure to Tom Wilkinson’s Arthur, a lawyer who experienced an epiphany and become a crusader; and his discovery that his firm is implicated in a huge cover-up.
