http://outlawvern.com/2008/02/21/michael-clayton/ Vern's writings on the films of cinema Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:51:06 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://outlawvern.com/2008/02/21/michael-clayton/#comment-130678 Mr. Subtlety Sat, 27 Nov 2010 05:07:01 +0000 http://outlawvern.com/?p=2015#comment-130678 Yeah, I watched this with my dad recently and not only is it just as great as I remember, he was blown away by it too. Really pitch-perfect thriller. Watching it again, I seem to detect the suggestion that the film has something to say about the dehumanizing effects of multinational capitalism. Not only in the obvious way (the pesticide company fighting to get to keep making people sick and avoid paying for it) but the way it effects the people IN the system too. The way that kind of pressure makes both Wilkinson AND Swinton's character insane, an it makes smart, compassionate people like Michael Clayton into well-tuned machines who willingly go against everything they believe as a career. The whole problem is that they're all working for abstract, uncaring systems. Even the people at the top are petrified of being ground down by the forces they're working with if they show even a trace of humanity. Swinton isn't a sadistic villain, she's basically lost touch with reality out of fear that if she shows so much as a glimpse of compassion, she'll be destroyed. Yeah, I watched this with my dad recently and not only is it just as great as I remember, he was blown away by it too. Really pitch-perfect thriller. Watching it again, I seem to detect the suggestion that the film has something to say about the dehumanizing effects of multinational capitalism. Not only in the obvious way (the pesticide company fighting to get to keep making people sick and avoid paying for it) but the way it effects the people IN the system too. The way that kind of pressure makes both Wilkinson AND Swinton’s character insane, an it makes smart, compassionate people like Michael Clayton into well-tuned machines who willingly go against everything they believe as a career. The whole problem is that they’re all working for abstract, uncaring systems. Even the people at the top are petrified of being ground down by the forces they’re working with if they show even a trace of humanity. Swinton isn’t a sadistic villain, she’s basically lost touch with reality out of fear that if she shows so much as a glimpse of compassion, she’ll be destroyed.

]]> http://outlawvern.com/2008/02/21/michael-clayton/#comment-130642 A.J. MacReady Sat, 27 Nov 2010 04:40:14 +0000 http://outlawvern.com/?p=2015#comment-130642 One of the best pure thriller/dramas of the last ten years. Just saw about ten minutes of it on TNT, of all places, and it reminded me I gotta pick it up on DVD. Just a great goddamn movie. You nailed it regarding Tilda Swinton, too - the way she played the character is something I'm not sure I ever saw in a movie before. . .at least recently. Clooney's the shit here, too. Maybe you're right; maybe this kid's going places. I think he's got a better chance of stardom if he steals Jolie away from Pitt or gets caught fucking one of those Kardashian whores on camera, though. One of the best pure thriller/dramas of the last ten years. Just saw about ten minutes of it on TNT, of all places, and it reminded me I gotta pick it up on DVD. Just a great goddamn movie. You nailed it regarding Tilda Swinton, too – the way she played the character is something I’m not sure I ever saw in a movie before. . .at least recently. Clooney’s the shit here, too. Maybe you’re right; maybe this kid’s going places. I think he’s got a better chance of stardom if he steals Jolie away from Pitt or gets caught fucking one of those Kardashian whores on camera, though.

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