Micheal Clayton

The 25 Best Movies of the Century: No. 25, ‘Michael Clayton’

Sean and Amanda kick off their year-long project of listing the 25 best movies of the 21st century so far with a discussion of Tony Gilroy’s ‘Michael Clayton,’ the 2007 legal thriller starring George Clooney and featuring one of the best scripts of the century. They talk about how tightly wound the movie is, some sliding doors in its production, and what it means for the list to start with such a beloved movie for both Sean and Amanda.

Friday night, Sharon and I watched Michael Clayton. On Saturday as we were driving to Cronan Ranch, we listened to the Big Picture podcast discussing the movie.

Michael Clayton is a 2007 legal thriller. It is the first feature film by writer and director Tony Gilroy. The movie stars George Clooney as lawyer Michael Clayton. Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, and Sydney Pollack appear in supporting roles.

Michael Clayton, a "fixer" for a prestigious New York law firm, is tasked with cleaning up the mess when a senior litigator has a mental breakdown during a high-stakes corporate lawsuit. As Clayton delves deeper, he uncovers a massive cover-up by the firm's client, a powerful agrochemical company, forcing him to confront his own moral compromises. Facing danger and a potential life-altering decision, Clayton must choose between protecting the firm or exposing the truth, risking everything in the process.

Michael Clayton was nominated for seven Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Score, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actor for George Clooney, Best Supporting Actor for Wilkinson, and Best Supporting Actress for Tilda Swinton. Swinton won Best Supporting Actress.

Sharon and I hadn't seen the movie. We both enjoyed it. I recommend it. I am looking forward to watching more movies as Sean and Amanda count down the best movies of the last twenty-five years.