Sunday, February 2, 2014

February 2 - Michael Clayton

Today’s drama movie has a scene that happens today – February 2. I hope you will enjoy this film and watch it tonight.

MICHAEL CLAYTON                 
      
Michael Clayton takes care of problems for a high powered New York law firm. He is called away from an illegal poker game to deal with a client’s hit and run accident. On the way back he stops to look at some horses and his car blows up. Four days ago on February 2, 2007 [16:00 to 42:23] Michael learned at the auction of the fixtures of a restaurant that he had invested in that he will still owe a lot of money on the deal. Then he is sent to deal with the fact that a member of the firm, Arthur Edens, stripped naked during a deposition in a multi-million dollar class action lawsuit against Unorth, a major client of the firm. Arthur later disappears. Karen Crowder, general counsel of Unorth learns Edens had a memo that shows that Unorth knew their product could cause injury. She retains a group of ‘fixers’ to spy on Edens. Clayton asks his boss for a loan to cover his restaurant expenses. He tries to find Edens. After Edens is killed by the fixers at Crowder’s direction, Clayton meets with one of the Plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Edens had called her and told her he had something that would change the case.  Clayton breaks into Edens apartment and eventually finds the damaging memo.    Clayton gets his loan, but has to sign a confidentiality agreement. He then goes to the poker game, which is when the fixers plant a bomb in his car. Clayton then approaches Crowder, who is getting Unorth to approve a settlement agreement, and gets her to agree to pay $5 million for his silence, but he has secreted a cell phone in his pocket that the police were listening to and they arrest Crowder. Clayton leaves.

A devious film. It keeps you guessing throughout, both about what’s going to happen and about who Clayton really is. The end twist surprised me.

Date given in the film at 30:28 on a TV screen.

Producers - Sydney Pollack, Steven Samuels, Jennifer Fox and Kerry Orent

Director - Tony Gilroy

Awards – This movie won the Best Supporting Actress (Swinton) Oscar. It was also nominated for the Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Clooney), Best Supporting Actor (Wilkinson), Best Original Screenplay and Best Original Score at the 80th Academy Awards. 

Screenplay - Tony Gilroy

Runtime – 1 hour 59 minutes

Released – August 31, 2007

Starring – George Clooney as Michael Clayton.
     Tom Wilkinson as Arthur Edens
                 Tilda Swinton as Karen Crowder

                 Sydney Pollack as Marty Bach



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