Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is the ultimate fixer, except for when it comes his own life. That’s not exactly an original role, but with star power like Clooney brings, it does offer rare new life into the oft-seen type of character. And the result is essentially just one long showcase of Clooney’s immense talent. And I’m not here to complain. He’s one of my favorite actors, so getting to see him in a tough role like this is fantastic.
So instead of the normal run-through, I’m just going to highlight a few of Michael Clayton’s best scenes, showing off my boy Clooney’s masterful acting.
“I’m not a miracle worker, I’m a janitor.”
This is an early scene and it jumps right in with Michael Clayton’s work. It sums up what he’s about. It also lulls you into thinking we’re getting the same kind of Clooney as we so often do. And how about Denis O’Hare with an all-time good-job-over-acting performance here. Incredible.
Clayton’s speech to his son
What a scene. Clayton is able to talk to his son about how much stronger he is than Clayton’s brother. But you can tell Clayton feels is also talking about himself. He feels the same way about himself, but he can use his brother as a pawn here, rather than fully facing his own personal truth on the matter.
It’s at both a heartbreaking and uplifting scene. You can sense the pain Clayton is hiding regarding his own life, while also legitimately building up his son. He’s using his brother as a stand-in for his own shortcomings and how he’s failed to be a proper example for his son. It’s a great scene and a remarkable bit of acting.
Final confrontation
George Clooney vs. Tilda Swinton. Two heavyweights going head to head. You love to see it. Clooney was nominated for Best Actor for his role and Swinton won for Supporting Actress. While they are both excellent throughout the entire movie, this is a highlight scene for both.
A different Clooney
Most people likely know Clooney as “the smooth guy,” or some variation of. Danny Ocean, Jack Foley, Clooney plays the suave man as well as anyone. He’s got the looks and demeanor for it, he clearly has the acting chops for it. You see Clooney and it makes sense. But his role as Michael Clayton is different. Clayton has the makings of the same kind of character, but isn’t able to measure up. A fixer for a large law firm – on the surface – would make you think he’s rolling in luxury. But he’s far from it. He’s got a gambling problem, he’s in debt, divorced with a young son.
As much fun as it is to watch Clooney in the flashy Ocean’s Eleven-type roles, it’s just as enjoyable to see him take on a different role like this. And of course he still knocks it out of the park. He scored his second Academy Award acting nomination (though he’s still searching for that first win).
Baguettes
Might as well end with something fun. The ol’ “baguette sticking out of a grocery bag” is one of the goofiest tropes out there. In countless movies and TV shows, a character has a baguette sticking out of a bag to indicate they just went grocery shopping. I don’t know how, why, or when it started, but it’s all over the place. You may not notice it right away, but once you do, you can’t miss it.
And Michael Clayton takes it to the next level. Arthur is seen with a grocery bag FULL of baguettes. There’s no explanation given, it just is. And it’s great. It’s hysterical. There’s no real, larger point to mentioning this; it’s just funny and I couldn’t get through this without pointing it out.
The Verdict: 7.9/10
Updated 6/1/2020
Next week: Nothing
We will be pausing this series for the time being. There are much more serious issues at hand than discussing how this movie or that movie has held up over time. The plan is to bring this back eventually, but exact timing is unknown and, quite frankly, unimportant.
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