Michael Clayton (2007)

Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is a "fixer", an attorney for a prestigious law firm that uses whatever means necessary to cover up or provide information through influence and/or connections for the often unethical actions of their clients. When another of the firm's attorneys (Tom Wilkinson) has an emotional breakdown during a high profile case, Clayton is assigned to minimize the damage. This leads him thru a labyrinth of deceit, corruption and murder. This is an intense and compelling film that justifies our paranoia about American big business. The director Tony Gilroy propels the film forward like precision clockwork, never a wasted moment. Clooney's performance is the title role is pretty awesome with just the right amount of self loathing yet possessing a vulnerability borne out of desperation. The film ends with a long, beautifully sustained uncut close up of Clooney that may be the greatest close up since Garbo in QUEEN CHRISTINA. The rest of the cast is just as perfect especially Tilda Swinton (who wan Oscar for her work here) as the consul for an unscrupulous firm, Sydney Pollack, Ken Howard and Michael O'Keefe. The subtle Oscar nominated score is by James Newton Howard.