4.11.2008

Michael Clayton (2007)

In a world full of corporate corruption, films are moving into this genre as the political landscape becomes less and less relevant.

Michael Clayton (made of clay, but committing acts of righteousness) gradually emerges from the stark landscape of corporate law after some rather unexpected circumstances. We are drawn into a web of cover-up and ignorance. But rather than hyping up the film with difficult to follow plot lines and over-the-top action sequences and pumping music, we are taken behind the scenes. We watch as a VP prepares her speeches of lies and visibly is shaken by the gravity of her guilt. We listen to honest phone messages. We are overtaken by the unexpected inhumanity of the situation.

I could go on and on about how powerful George Clooney's performance is. He truly captures the emotion and struggle involved in doing right and wrong. If there is no struggle, there can't be much happening. The writing is also very revealing in subtle ways.

Truth: Most people doing wrong on a huge scale are doing so because they have backed themselves into a corner, but it's never too late to recover your moral responsibility.

Official Site | IMDB

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