CAST: George Clooney (Michael Clayton), Tom Wilkinson (Arthur Edens), Michael O'Keefe (Barry Grissom), Sydney Pollack (Marty Bach), Tilda Swinton (Karen Crowder) SCR: Tony Gilroy DIR: Tony Gilroy STUDIO: Warner Bros. MPAA: R for language including some sexual dialogue. RUNNING TIME: 119 min. OFFICIAL SITE: http://michaelclayton.warnerbros.com IMDb: http://imdb.com/title/tt0465538/ Michael Clayton is a grown-up tale of a “fixer,” who makes problems go away for the big-time law firm he has worked at for 15 years. Clayton always has money but is broke from too many losing years at the card tables; he has the gift of gab but is weary. He has forgotten who he is - or at the very least, is about to finally realize what he is not. George Clooney is perfectly cast as Michael Clayton. Lumpy, weary, and tired, it's surprising to see Clooney the stud in such rough shape. We think of a thousand images of a younger and more vital (movie star) Clooney and we can imagine what Clayton was like back in the day. Tony Gilroy's dialogue-heavy film thrills and jolts us. Yes, there is an unexpected explosion, but it's the words that create the biggest bang. As we begin, litigator Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson), defending a $3 billion lawsuit against a crooked corporation, has a crisis of consciousness and stops taking his bipolar meds. The result is not pretty. Michael is called in to “deal” with his old friend, all the while hiding his medical condition. But Arthur has had an epiphany and holds a smoking gun. How many times do we see the unethical lawyer grow some integrity and do the right thing? Frankly, a lot, but it's usually in the last act and that character is usually the main one. Here, he is the wild card - spouting manic absurdities one moment, surprisingly clear bursts of comprehension the next. Michael Clayton is a throwback to the kinds of corporate thrillers Alan Pakula used to make in the seventies. Not so concerned with good guys in white and bad guys twirling their moustaches, the legal world here is populated with people good at their jobs and well aware of the grey areas in which they color. The cast is exceptional and Gilroy gives them a lot of juicy lines. Clooney has been at the top of his game for some time now with the single most impressive resume of any working actor today. Sure, he makes those Oceans sequels, but if one of those allows for the likes of Good Night and Good Luck, Syriana, Out of Sight or Michael Clayton, then more actors should follow his lead. The great Sydney Pollack brings gravitas as the senior partner who understands what a great shark Clayton can be. Tilda Swinton plays Karen Crowder, the scheming lawyer with the most to lose from Arthur's meltdown; and could have very well played this with the bitch-o-meter turned up to 11. But by investing in her weaknesses first, Swinton has created a sympathetic villain, a person so invested in winning, she makes colossally bad decisions - and that's the most dangerous type of villain. Wilkinson should walk with a Best Supporting Actor nomination, at the very least. His manic Arthur Edens may do insane things in pursuit of clarity, but he also makes the most sense. With grown-up worlds, time shifting (the first act is a flash forward with playful omissions) and a clever structure, Michael Clayton is an intricate puzzle of a story in which the most exciting moments find people talking to each other. Worth watching twice just to see the pieces come together in real time, this is a film that's altogether familiar and refreshingly alive at the same time. --reviewed by DENNIS WILLIS