Michael Clayton

Movie review by Cynthia Fuchs, Common Sense Media
Michael Clayton Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 17+

Smart, mature legal thriller isn't meant for kids.

R 2007 119 minutes
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Parents say

age 16+

Based on 3 reviews

Kids say

age 13+

Based on 7 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that that although teens might be interested in this mature thriller thanks to star George Clooney, it's definitely aimed at adults. Fast-talking and complicated, it deals with complex issues like corporate corruption, toxic consumer products, and legal manipulation. An empty car explodes twice (the first time is a flashforward), and a murder is committed very coldly (by needle, with the killers attacking the victim in his apartment). A woman appears in her bra and slip, with visible cleavage, and a male lawyer undressing (down to his underwear) during a deposition is a significant plot point. Language includes many uses of "f--k," plus other profanity.

Community Reviews

Tsion
Tsion Adult
March 1, 2011
age 16+

Gripping and Moving Legal Drama Packs a Punch!

MICHAEL CLAYTON is an extremely intelligent and mature drama/thriller that is a perfect respite from dumb "action" movies that thrive on cheap violence as opposed to genuine thrills. This movie is genuinely gripping, but its engaging thrill emerges from its strong emotional core as opposed to bullets and explosions. It isn't a movie for kids by any stretch, but mature teens and adults will have a great time watching. The movie follows a "fixer" lawyer named Michael Clayton, who is in charge of burying controversial and possibly illegal behavior of his clients before it hinders their business prospects. When Michael's friend uncovers a conspiracy behind a multi-million dollar lawsuit, Michael is convinced that his friend is only looking for a problem where there isn't one. Soon however, Michael begins to see cracks in his previous vantage point, and the decisions he makes will make all the difference. The movie isn't for kids at all. It is very mature and adult-oriented, and contains some adult content. The "f" word is used more than 20 times, and other milder language ("s**t", "d**n", and sexual slang) is used almost non-stop. "C**t" is used once early in the film. A man describes being in a "whorehouse" and trying not to "come" as he recieves oral sex from two prostitutes. "D**k" and "c**k" are also used as slang in this scene. The same man strips naked after having an emotional breakdown (nothing shown). A man is assassinated onscreen (poison is injected into his foot after he is knocked unconscious), and another man's car explodes (with the intent of killing him). One character is also a drug addict. The majority of characters in the movie make very poor decisions (and are thus poor role models), but the overall message of the movie is very inspiring: how a handful of people in a corrupt world have the courage to change their actions and do the right thing. In an age of superficial movies, MICHAEL CLAYTON courageously and inspiringly offers an alternate thriller: one driven by plot and meaning, not bullets.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
Great messages
CaptainGalacticus
CaptainGalacticus Adult
April 9, 2008
not rated for age
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Deft and intelligent, MICHAEL CLAYTON is at heart a conventional story about a world-weary hero confronting a difficult moral decision. It begins with the breakdown of successful high-stakes lawyer Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson). Addressing his old friend/colleague Michael Clayton (George Clooney) in a kind of confession, Arthur laments his career of defending corrupt, wealthy clients: "I'm suddenly consumed with the overwhelming sensation that I'm covered with some sort of filth." His despair is prompted by a class-action suit against (fictional) corporation U/North, which has produced and aggressively marketed a cancer-causing weed killer. Literally off his meds, Arthur provides his firm -- headed by Arthur's longtime friend Marty (Sydney Pollack) -- with a reason to dismiss his concerns when he strips naked during a deposition and declares his love for a wholesome young claimant. Michael, the firm's "fixer," is called in to get control of Arthur. At the same time, U/North instructs its own in-house counsel, Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton), to ensure a settlement in the case and make it go away. To do this, she needs to silence Arthur, who has evidence of U/North's culpability.

Is It Any Good?

At one level, Tony Gilroy's movie is a tour de force of crosscutting between Karen and Michael's efforts. But even more compelling is its meditation on the ways that money, politics, and fear shape moral choices. Michael's admiration for Arthur makes him question the cruel urgency of the clean-up mission; he's also in dire need of money, due to a bad gambling habit and a recent failed business venture. In an early scene, Michael speeds along a road at dawn, frustrated by his latest minor assignment (fixing a hit-and-run committed by one of the firm's "huge" clients). He pulls over when he spots a clutch of horses atop a grassy hill. As he makes his way to them, pausing just to hear them breathe, the air fresh and the morning light faint, Michael looks almost at peace. When the scene is interrupted by violence, he's reminded of the cruelties he commits and confronts every day. And even when he tracks down Arthur, he faces still more-confounding dilemmas: Arthur is right, the firm is wrong, and Michael's stuck in the middle.

At the same time, Karen is caught up in her own deepening moral morass. Swinton is brilliant and chilling as a woman so focused on proving herself worthy in a man's world that she can't imagine how out of her depth she is. As she rehearses her speeches for U/North clients or dries her armpits in a corporate ladies' room, she's both resolute and clueless. Neither she nor Michael can find solace, no matter their movie-style "wins" or "losses."

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what makes this movie for adults, as opposed to kids or even teens. Is it the subject matter? The dialogue? What do you need to know or understand in order to be able to "get" a movie like this? Families can also discuss the idea of right vs. wrong. Is it always easy to tell which is which? What does Michael do that's "right" in this movie? What does he do that's "wrong"?

Movie Details

Our Editors Recommend

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    age 15+
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    Dark, criminally good legal thriller. Adults only.

    age 17+

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