Comments on: Michael Clayton

By: Aaron

Aaron — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 16:26:21 +0000

I would definitely agree with the acting. It was good. I would also agree that it was pretty barebones when it comes to the various contrivances used to make something feel tight and gripping. And yeah, the story was coherent…I just felt like the movie wasn’t all it was cracked up to be, and it didn’t really resonate with me.

Oh well.

By: Drew

Drew — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:58:49 +0000

Hey dude. Just watched Michael Clayton last night. I don’t think the movie was good enough to be nominated for Best Picture, but I overall enjoyed it. The plot was pretty light on glitz and flash that wouldn’t constitute for “tight, gripping thriller” but I felt the story was coherent enough for me to follow. Really, the acting (especially Clooney’s) overshadows all other aspects of the film. His Oscar nomination was well earned.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 20:50:05 +0000

I really liked it and didn’t find it to be slow-moving at all. I wouldn’t say it was my favorite movie last year, but I did like it a lot.

By: Steph

Steph — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 20:21:39 +0000

I saw it too, and it was interesting. I mean, it kept my attention, but it wouldn’t rank up there with my favorites. (Granted, I’m a scifi fan, so maybe that’s why, lol.) Sadly, I was really sick while I watched it, so I wasn’t able to get into it like maybe I would have otherwise.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 05:13:01 +0000

Liz: I agree. I felt like I was missing something.

Ferguson: In a way, I can see how it was like one of the old classics. That’s a good comparison, but I still feel that compared to the old classics, it was missing something. Charm, perhaps, or a stylish flair that isn’t bound up in its own self-awareness. I feel that while Mr. Clooney is a good actor and did well in this film, there was a depth to his character that was missing in his portrayal somehow. I’m willing to believe that I saw the film on something of an off night, but I still feel that it wasn’t all it had been built up to be.

Drew: I’m not trying to discourage you from seeing it at all. In fact, I’d welcome other outside opinions. I’d love to hear more from people like Ferguson who can help me understand what I might have missed.

Kim: The complex plot was one of the things I did appreciate. The fact that I had to pay attention, and even play catchup if I didn’t understand something the first time around and had to glean that understanding from later context. I appreciated that the exposition wasn’t simply laid out for you like Reese’s Pieces for E.T. Still…while I appreciated the screenplay, etc., I still felt like it wasn’t an amazing movie, and like I’d seen better.

By: Kim L

Kim L — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 03:38:04 +0000

I saw it a few weekends ago and I was a little disappointed. I too was expecting more of a thriller. And looking back, I did lean over and ask Andy a whole bunch of times what was going on. There was a lot of slow scenes that I wasn’t following.

It was kind of like a slower version of Erin Brokovich.

By: Drew

Drew — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:56:03 +0000

That’s funny… I was going to rent Michael Clayton last night but got Simpsons and Dan In Real Life instead.
To be honest, there’s nothing about MC that really draws me to want to see it besides the fact that it was nominated for a lot of Oscars. I think Clooney works best as a comedian and not the serious type roles. But maybe I’ll pick it up…

By: Ferguson

Ferguson — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:09:49 +0000

This was my favorite film of 2007. I thought it had one of the best and most involving screenplays I’ve witnessed in any film for a long time. It played like a classic of the old age, with actors delivering their lines like they were made for them. Sorry you couldn’t find it in yourself to enjoy it. As far as it being slow, I didn’t think it was at all. It built up the tension and had me intrigued and unknowing of the fate of Mr. Clayton from beginning until the end, and oh, what an end. I think it is a classic among movies today. Nice review, I enjoyed reading your thoughts.

By: Liz M

Liz M — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 03:41:20 +0000

Wow….I couldn’t agree with you more. I watched it recently myself and wondered what I was missing. I thought this was supposed to be a movie above the rest, but I couldn’t figure out which part of the movie fit that qualification. At least I know it wasn’t just me who thought this way.