There are so many great conspiracy thrillers, yet it’s easy to overlook “Michael Clayton.” While it established screenwriter Tony Gilroy’s directorial career; earned seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture; and scored a win for Tilda Swinton, it doesn’t get a lot of credit these days. And for Vimeo channel Must See Films, that’s a damn shame. Because it’s “an underrated and detailed character study” with quite possibly George Clooney’s best performance as “a man searching for his own identity and sense of self” inside a redemption story within the familiar world of law firms and corporate sabotage. But it’s one framed around a simple but meaningful question:“Who are you?” That’s explored thoroughly and richly, like the film in question, in the video essay, “Michael Clayton: The Tortured Path To Redemption.”
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One of the main reasons why “Michael Clayton” is so successful is based on its frank and unflashy presentation, often letting the story and its words take charge first and foremost. It’s a layered, well-crafted film that uses its nonlinear structure and meaningful character moments to its ultimate advantage, letting us see through Clayton just how much he stands to win and lose. That’s communicated through visual metaphors and a sense that he’s suffocating in rooms and buildings that trap and hold him away from the freedom he desperately desires. The use of tight, intimate spaces and drab work environments communicates this theme to us continuously.
Then, to let Clayton’s internal character speak without overstressing the same points, Gilory uses the book “Realm & Conquest,” which uses literature to give “Michael Clayton” a mythic quality and also becomes the lynchpin which holds the film together. Because this book often forces its way into his life, it’s practically designed for Clayton to discover it, even if it’s almost too late. The visual metaphors continue as the vivid picture of three horses inside plays a very meaningful role in our titular character’s life in a crucial sequence. It’s the mix of straightforward and cynical with symbolism and metaphor, which ultimately shapes Gilroy’s movie and, therefore, makes it stronger. The unfulfilled existence of Clayton’s complicated life is narratively jigsawed, but it becomes clear and focused as Gilroy’s film continues, exploring how Clayton is born again and takes ownership of his life. It’s masterful work, especially for a directorial debut.
“Michael Clayton” is personal, intimate, challenging and thoughtful, and a film that doesn’t get its rightful due. But you can rediscover it with this video essay.
