Free to Air 10th July
A lot of these films I, and most likely you, have watched before but some are worth a re-visit and this is most definitely the case with Michael Clayton. It’s billed as a legal thriller but it has much more in common with the Wizard of Oz.
Clooney’s Clayton (see Dorothy) comes to the realisation that he is not in Kansas anymore and looks to the Wizard (Pollack) for guidance. It’d be reductive to label Tilda Swinton’s character as the archetypal witch (it’s more about her actions), there is more nuance to her performance, likewise, Tom Wilkinson is more than a composite of the Lion, Scarecrow and Tinman and therein lies the strength of this film. Its many layers, its subplots and stellar performances from the main and supporting cast.
This, for me, is Tony Gilroy’s best work.
Michael Clayton is on SBS (but only for 2 more weeks)
