tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post5020282695722908884..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: Michael ClaytonBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-54084133109661429632015-07-10T21:19:31.525-07:002015-07-10T21:19:31.525-07:00Do you think the Sidney Pollack character was in t...Do you think the Sidney Pollack character was in the failed Murder attempt on Michael Clayton'slife? Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13023061899541787624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-68584372062524269982010-10-12T15:15:37.827-07:002010-10-12T15:15:37.827-07:00I thought Michael Clayton sucked. Boring as hell.I thought Michael Clayton sucked. Boring as hell.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-1311997944785739372007-12-22T22:45:00.000-08:002007-12-22T22:45:00.000-08:00Ken, thanks for mentioning the associates in your ...Ken, thanks for mentioning the associates in your review. Never thought THAT would happen. There are so many actors who got very little screen time. For instance, the wife of the hit and run lawyer, who barely gets one line, is Tony award-winning actress Julie White. It just goes to show the care that Gilroy took in the casting, down to the smallest role, and it feels good that you recognized that. Despite our small roles, we were actually on set for a few weeks and got to be part of the Michael Clayton family. Thanks for the great review. I think you're right about Tom Wilkinson finally getting his Oscar...glad to see he was nominated for a SAG award. <BR/>Keep on rocking,<BR/>Pun BandhuPunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03479689545349796759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-74516683550674101592007-10-21T19:23:00.000-07:002007-10-21T19:23:00.000-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17991831542409883481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-51029016226429573932007-10-20T15:50:00.000-07:002007-10-20T15:50:00.000-07:00Allen,Apparently quite a few people feel different...Allen,<BR/><BR/>Apparently quite a few people feel differently. Amazing how that is, isn't it?Tim W.https://www.blogger.com/profile/16860726607106078491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-38035117833880347742007-10-20T11:12:00.000-07:002007-10-20T11:12:00.000-07:00michael clayton was fine, but certainly not an ama...michael clayton was fine, but certainly not an amazing film. I find it hard to imagine how anyone can say it was the best suspense thriller they've seen in years...there was no suspense. We knew the company was guilty, we knew clayton owed money, we knew (spoiler alert) that clayton survives the car bomb, etc. <BR/><BR/>Also, suddenly these lawyers have a conscience, cmon now..<BR/><BR/><BR/>The acting was very good, it was paced well, but certainly it was nothing more than mediocre.Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17991831542409883481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-35245199024804127782007-10-19T19:27:00.000-07:002007-10-19T19:27:00.000-07:00So much for my "write strong roles for women" kick...So much for my "write strong roles for women" kick.Dwaconhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07544514023626682777noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-45520510241141225202007-10-19T00:26:00.000-07:002007-10-19T00:26:00.000-07:00I loved the film, from Tom Wilkinson's speech over...I loved the film, from Tom Wilkinson's speech over the opening shots to the final close-up. As for Tilda Swinton - what a performance!<BR/><BR/>http://jonathanbart.blogspot.com/2007/10/just-look-at-her.htmlJonathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11201691650761341427noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-22869883287955713222007-10-18T20:32:00.000-07:002007-10-18T20:32:00.000-07:00I just saw this today and agree with you COMPLETEL...I just saw this today and agree with you COMPLETELY. Tom Wilkinson is astounding. Most movies leave me feeling like, "Damn--I can write better than THAT!" This one made me feel like, "Damn--I wish I had written that!"Stella Louisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00326284182278725435noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-46072113261722948712007-10-18T17:52:00.000-07:002007-10-18T17:52:00.000-07:00I always liked Sydney Pollack as an actor. There'...I always liked Sydney Pollack as an actor. There's a saying I use whenever something isn't going well: "That's not so good, Michael". I took this from Pollack's character in Tootsie, who says that line with such sympathy in response to Michael Dorsey's unique problem with a woman: "I did sleep with her, she still thinks I'm gay".<BR/><BR/>I also liked him in Husbands and Wives, he's one of the few actors who could act alongside of Woody Allen in a scene and not ape his mannerisms and speech pattern.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-91408728471995351732007-10-18T11:06:00.000-07:002007-10-18T11:06:00.000-07:00I agree that Michael Clayton is the best movie of ...I agree that Michael Clayton is the best movie of the year so far. The acting, direction, script and photography are all superb. <BR/><BR/>However, even an occasional watcher of CSI can spot a gaping hole in the plot. I was surprised by Gilroy's dismissal of elementary forensics in the movie's lone action scene. Ken, would a young, less-respected writer get away with this?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-50026658044915912862007-10-18T07:48:00.000-07:002007-10-18T07:48:00.000-07:00Perhaps Emily Blake is right. MICHAEL CLAYTON ope...Perhaps Emily Blake is right. MICHAEL CLAYTON opened to an extremely weak $10 million last weekend.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-27418055690727383812007-10-17T22:41:00.000-07:002007-10-17T22:41:00.000-07:00My two favourite movies this year are Michael Clay...My two favourite movies this year are Michael Clayton and the Bourne Ultimatum. Mmmm.<BR/><BR/>I usually hate when people see a movie simply because someone is in it (because that is one of the worst ways of determining how god a movie is), but I'm starting to change my mind with Clooney. I'm going to forget about Oceans 12 for a moment, and he hasn't made a bad movie (okay, maybe I have to forget about the Spy Kids, too) since Batman and Robin. Not all great, but Out of Sight, Three Kings, Oceans 11, Syriana and Michael Clayton are more great movies than I think anyone has any right to make. Unfortunately only Oceans 11 was considered a hit, so apparently good and box office aren't often compatible. Too bad.Tim W.https://www.blogger.com/profile/16860726607106078491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-29043363741911858402007-10-17T21:24:00.000-07:002007-10-17T21:24:00.000-07:00Hear, hear. I think I read somewhere that if Cloon...Hear, hear. I think I read somewhere that if Clooney wins the Oscar, it'll be for the scene with the horses. The big deal is that it's not a big deal--he's just a very unhappy person looking at something beautiful, which reminds him of everything he's let slip away.<BR/><BR/>I'd argue that as good a job as Gilroy's done as a screenwriter, he slips a little in this scene as the director. I had to think about it to realize that what happens next (no spoiler from me--go see the movie) is perfectly timed, as it is the real turning point for Clooney's character in the movie, when he finally figures out what's going on. He's reached his limit anyway, or he wouldn't have stopped his car to look at the horses. Then it happens, and he's pushed over the edge, and away from his old life. But the fact that I had to think about it later means that the point is a little bit buried.<BR/><BR/>Tom Wilkinson and Tilda Swinton, wonderful. But while Sidney Pollack may not have great range, sweet Jesus does he make it look <I>real.</I>estivhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12736355730705116526noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-6521669332526371402007-10-17T20:08:00.000-07:002007-10-17T20:08:00.000-07:00I was about to add, "And also if you enjoy the kin...I was about to add, "And also if you enjoy the kind of suspense of a gripping Sidney Lumet film" -- but then I realize Lumet directed two of the films you named as "if you like these, go see this one, too."<BR/><BR/>As for Kenneth Branagh: His American accent in "Dead Again" was the best ever done by a British actor. The problem in the Woody Allen film wasn't his inability to portray an American; it was his awful miscasting as a character written to be "the Woody Allen character."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-4073273940578077282007-10-17T19:47:00.000-07:002007-10-17T19:47:00.000-07:00Doug, I'll admit I haven't been since Spiderman 3,...Doug, I'll admit I haven't been since Spiderman 3, where a nice couple brought all ten (not kidding) of their kids and let them run up and down the aisle and let their three year old peer over the side of the two story railing of the stadium seating. <BR/><BR/>The best part is that they all talked in Spanish during the movie. <BR/><BR/>Don't get me wrong, I still love to see a movie in the theatre, but as a dad on a budget, I'm much happier to wait for DVD for a film like this, where I can enjoy its brilliance without distraction. <BR/><BR/>Now a comedy or action flick.... I like to see 'em in the theatre.Robhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08923161793979910495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-6623489158504968672007-10-17T19:09:00.000-07:002007-10-17T19:09:00.000-07:00I'm going this weekend!I'm going this weekend!Feisty Cronehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02821808042889216134noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-38820524715909200772007-10-17T18:57:00.000-07:002007-10-17T18:57:00.000-07:00Not sure where Crutnacker goes to the theatre or w...Not sure where Crutnacker goes to the theatre or when they last time he's been (his argument sounds like the same one my father gives... and he hasn't been to a theatre in 11 years) but I go to the theatre every other month or so and I can't remember the last time I've heard a single peep out of another person in the theatre, unless it was a scene we were all laughing at.<BR/><BR/>The "shut your trap, turn your phone off" messages they repeat ad nauseum before the trailers start playing seem to be working.<BR/><BR/>Back on topic, I can't wait to see Michael Clayton.Doug Walshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09492162192250783305noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-46122485948804621122007-10-17T15:16:00.000-07:002007-10-17T15:16:00.000-07:00Good to hear this endorsement. Tony Gilroy was on ...Good to hear this endorsement. Tony Gilroy was on Elvis Mitchell's show out of KCRW, The Treatment. So articulate and forthcoming about the movie business.Max Clarkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07706524941272103444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-25339133060057965202007-10-17T13:08:00.000-07:002007-10-17T13:08:00.000-07:00Jbryant,Right on. Othe anon, "Water is still water...Jbryant,<BR/><BR/>Right on. Othe anon, "Water is still water no matter how good it tastes." Right on.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-25217519486778175892007-10-17T10:46:00.000-07:002007-10-17T10:46:00.000-07:00Great post, it's interesting that filmhttp://www.v...Great post, it's interesting that film<BR/><BR/><BR/><A>http://www.vidsworld01.blogspot.com</A>vid'shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13951403689278229473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-22453032188221181292007-10-17T10:43:00.000-07:002007-10-17T10:43:00.000-07:00There's no question that "Michael Clayton" is a su...There's no question that "Michael Clayton" is a superbly crafted low-key thriller with an intriguingly oblique approach to its narrative. I do wish that this approach felt more like a personal style and less like a clever method of simulating complexity and depth for a story that's actually a bit short on those qualities. Corporate corruption is such a given in this type of film, we'd probably be bored by the story's familiarity if Gilroy didn't trick things up a bit. But I applaud him for aspiring to Lumet/Chayefsky/Pakula/etc. He undoubtedly wanted those comparisons, and he's getting them. It's also interesting that he pretty much avoids putting a human face on the damage caused by the evil corporation, unlike "Erin Brockovich" or "A Civil Action," sticking mostly with the "suits" instead. Ultimately, the film is so beautifully made and superbly performed I can overlook a few minor caveats and recommend it highly.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-27931420711343948522007-10-17T10:25:00.000-07:002007-10-17T10:25:00.000-07:00I saw Michael Clayton at a matinee on its opening ...I saw Michael Clayton at a matinee on its opening day. The theater (on the small side) was crowded, so I'm surprised that it didn't open well. Nevertheless, it is a great film with outstanding performances all around. One of the best thrillers I've seen in a long time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-19871877483592927302007-10-17T10:10:00.000-07:002007-10-17T10:10:00.000-07:00Once again, Ken, you get it right. I saw "Michael...Once again, Ken, you get it right. I saw "Michael Clayton" the day it opened, and walked out feeling, finally, like they had made a good picture for adults. <BR/><BR/>Ken: You're like the Colorado Rockies.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-51107731985996313502007-10-17T09:47:00.000-07:002007-10-17T09:47:00.000-07:00I saw the movie and agree with Ken that it's treme...I saw the movie and agree with Ken that it's tremendous. Not just Clayton but also the secondary characters were incredibly well-developed. Gilroy could have made a movie about Sydney Pollock's character, or Tilda Swinton's, or Tom Wilkinson's, in reaction to the same events - there was so much there to work with.Five Pound Baghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03927275111698696108noreply@blogger.com