Movie Review- MICHAEL CLAYTON
HEADLINE: ** Facing One's Sins **TITLE: MICHAEL CLAYTON
Quality: * * * * Acceptability: -2
SUBTITLES: None
WARNING CODES:
Language: LLL
Violence: VV
Sex: SS
Nudity: N
RATING: R
RELEASE: October 5, 2007
TIME: 119 minutes
STARRING: George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, and Sydney Pollack.
DIRECTOR: Tony Gilroy
PRODUCERS: Sydney Pollack, Jennifer Fox, Steven Samuels, and Kerry Orent
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Steven Soderbergh, George Clooney, James Holt, and Anthony Minghella
WRITER: Tony Gilroy
BASED ON THE NOVEL/PLAY BY: N/A
DISTRIBUTOR: Warner Bros. Pictures
CONTENT: (B, C, FR, E, Acap, P, LLL, VV, SS, N, A, DD, MM) Light moral worldview with light redemptive character arc plus light false religion for a mention of the false Hindu god Shiva, with light environmentalist content, light anti-capitalist elements, light pro-American content about a man facing his sins and a moral dilemma; 55 obscenities and 21 profanities, plus vivid discussion of oral sex; strong violence such as car blows up, discussion of a hit and run, victims have toxic chemicals, and the brutal high-tech chemical murder of a lawyer; no shown sex but a vivid description of oral sex; man strips but no private parts shown, woman in slip and bra; alcohol use; smoking and drugs discussed; and, lying, cheating and stealing.
GENRE: Thriller
INTENDED AUDIENCE: Adults
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Barry M. Meyer, Chairman/CEO
Warner Bros. Entertainment Company
4000 Warner Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91522-0001
Phone: (818) 954-6000
Website: www.movies.warnerbros.com
SUMMARY: MICHAEL CLAYTON stars George Clooney in a thriller about a corrupt lawyer working at a corrupt New York law firm who must decide whether to take a stand for the first time in his life. If it weren't for an abundance of foul language as well as a vivid description of sex, MICHAEL CLAYTON would be a very compelling drama about facing your own sins.
IN BRIEF:
MICHAEL CLAYTON stars George Clooney in the title role. Michael is one of the best fixers at a top New York law firm. Once, he was a terrific trial lawyer until he was recruited to be the firm's fixer. Now, when there's a crisis, it's up to Michael to solve the case by hook or by crook. Michael is sent to the Midwest to bring home one of the firm's top trial lawyers, Arthur, played by Tom Wilkinson, who has had a serious nervous breakdown due to a shady agro-chemical company, U/North. Michael suspects Arthur's concerns about U/North and their own firm are correct. Will he take a stand for the first time in his life?
If it weren't for an abundance of foul language as well as a vivid description of oral sex, MICHAEL CLAYTON would be a compelling drama about facing your own sins. The movie has a clear act of self-sacrifice and redemption, but it is still done too late and too quickly. With a little more emphasis and a lot less foul language, this could have been a really great movie. Overall, MOVIEGUIDEŽ advises extreme caution.
