Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		2.5
Audio		2.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

Michael Clayton Blu-ray Movie Review

This brilliantly acted and directed film leaves much to be desired in the A/V department.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 25, 2008

I'm not a miracle worker. I'm a janitor.

After seeing Michael Clayton for the first time last night, I'm not surprised that it was nominated for several Oscars. It's a movie made for the Academy, one of a type that body swallows hook, line, and sinker. The film's edgy script, solid performances, slick editing, somewhat slow pace, and its depiction of the evils inside corporate America make it a prime candidate for a slew of nominations and awards. At this year's Oscars, the film received its fair share of notoriety and attention, but walked away with only one statue, for best actress, that for Tilda Swinton's (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) performance as Karen Crowder. The film garnered six other nominations, including best actor (George Clooney, The Ocean's trilogy), best supporting actor (Tom Wilkinson, The Exorcism of Emily Rose), best director (Tony Gilroy, Duplicity), and best picture of the year.

Michael Clayton speaks out against digital downloads.

To adequately describe Michael Clayton would require either re-typing or linking to the script, neither of which I'm inclined to do. No description can really substitute for the experience of watching the film, especially for the first time. Michael Clayton is a thinking man's film, and it wasn't after the final credits rolled and I let the film sit on the brain for a bit did I feel comfortable writing this review. This is an extremely slow-paced film, one that is meticulous in its details, and it often finds itself bordering on boring. Perhaps that's what makes it so effective. Clayton's world is seemingly one monotony (he seems to hate what he does, going through the motions only because he must), pot marked by extraordinary people and events. I doubt that it's coincidence only that the filmmakers chose an early scene of the destruction of Clayton's car as what I believed to be the theme of the movie, both in a literal and figurative sense. Literally, the explosion represents Clayton's denouement, the event that brings the tale full circle, allowing for a less-than-dramatic but expected ending. It also shows the determination of both Clayton and Crowder, the lengths each will go to accomplish their goals, no matter the cost. Figuratively, the explosion represents the perfect moment in time that summarizes the lives and times of Clayton and Crowder. A tranquil, picturesque, and normal day is rocked by the unexpected, a single event that shakes the foundation of the norm, brings chaos to calm, and changes an otherwise typical landscape drastically. All of the primary events of the film (Eden's breakdown and the discovery of the documents at the print shop, to name two examples) play similarly to the explosion in their own unique way, representing a shifting climate, a change in the dynamics of a situation that sets events in motion whose repercussions will be the literal explosion, or collapse, of the lives of everyone involved.

While not as enamored with the story as many critics, I nevertheless respect the film's power and commanding presence as a fine representation of modern highbrow cinema. The earmarkings of a great film are here, beginning with the performances by all the leads involved. The three acting nominations for Clooney, Wilkinson, and Swinton are all well-deserved, though Clooney's performance was, to me, the weakest of the bunch next to that of Swinton and Wilkinson, though nevertheless brilliant in its own right. Writer/director Tony Gilroy, nominated for each of those duties, directs his own script as only a writer could, with grace but also with a grittiness and prowess of the finest of filmmakers, making his audience think and pay attention rather than be spoon-fed the plot in small, manageable, dumbed-down doses. His style is nevertheless straightforward, but so much so that an audience only paying close attention ninety percent of the time will feel lost and find the film disjointed and uneven. Again, that's the world of Clayton and Crowder on display in the filmmaking, two individuals on an uneven keel, where a wrong step or a new revelation, heeded and noted or not, could result in a confused, altered state where reality becomes blurred by anything-but- pedestrian thinking and actions, taking larger and larger steps to cover every small yet significant one made along the way.

Michael Clayton may very well be one of the smartest films in years, and it might just be too smart for its own good. It is expertly crafted and an intriguing study of the effectiveness of deliberately-paced yet powerfully rendered cinema, and for that alone the movie is well-worth the price of admission and the Oscar nominations it boasts. The film's closing moments are the most unique I believe I've ever witnessed in film as we're taken to a place I for one have never seen in that medium, a "post-conclusion conclusion," so to speak, where once the action dies down and the hero rides off into the sunset, the credits roll, but the camera also lingers on the hero as we see the events of the film replayed in his eyes (figuratively), a remarkable acting moment by Clooney and, like the film itself, worth not only the time and effort of trudging through it but also worthy of his Academy Award nomination.

Michael Clayton Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Warner Brother's track record of hit-or-miss transfers continues with their Blu-ray release of Michael Clayton. Presented in 1080p high definition and framed at 2.40:1, the transfer is dull at best and, well, dull at worst. From the outset of the film the softness that will be present for the entire runtime is evident. As the movie begins, several near static shots of the interior of an office building are shown with a surprisingly low level of detail, mostly undefined and hazy images that set the tone for the look and feel of the remainder of the film. This is one of the most unspectacular images I've seen yet from Warner Brothers or any other studio. There are a few nice scenes scattered throughout with decent detail and vibrancy, but even the best looking shots are still soft and somewhat dull. I noticed a couple of shots where nothing was really in sharp focus, so I've got to think this movie has been intentionally filmed to look somewhat bleak and unsavory, much like the characters that inhabit it. While black levels are consistently good, there is a bit of crushing as fine details are often lost in several scenes. Flesh tones proved to be one positive, looking natural and clear in appearance. You won't find very many rich, vibrant colors in Michael Clayton. The film takes on a rather dull, monotone look for much of its runtime, and definitely adds to the lack of brilliance of the image. Michael Clayton is probably one of the last discs you'd turn to in your collection to show off your system. The image is certainly sufficient, but to purchase this one solely for a pretty image to display on your high-dollar system would be a futile gesture.

Michael Clayton Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As with the video quality, Warner continues to yo-yo with their audio offerings, presenting Michael Clayton on Blu-ray with a paltry, lifeless, yet adequate Dolby Digital 5.1 audio presentation. The movie begins with dialogue and some typical-sounding drama genre music playing (music written by James Newton Howard and nominated for an Oscar), and it sounded fine if not unspectacular. Ambient effects were pretty disappointing. What was supposed to be, I assume, a very light breeze at the beginning of the film came across garbled, like a mushy, undefined glob of sound. A subsequent explosion lacked any punch and definition. Dialogue sounded a bit out of place, possibly just a minute fraction of a second off at times. Perhaps I'm just spoiled by lossless audio, or perhaps the sound design of this film is intentionally weak, but either way, I was very underwhelmed by the experience. Fortunately, the movie very rarely calls for anything more than the spoken word, and for the most part it's acceptable. The vast majority of the soundtrack emanates from the center channel, giving just about every other speaker in your system the evening off (that poor center channel never gets a break, does it?). While Michael Clayton will most certainly not be up for any awards for its audio presentation on Blu-ray, it does allow for the viewer to keep up with the story without really noticing the soundtrack is even there. In that way it suffices, but expecting anything more than the most basic of listening experiences will result in major disappointment.

Michael Clayton Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audiences looking for an abundance of supplemental features pertaining to Michael Clayton need look elsewhere. Warner Brothers has chosen to leave the cupboard of supplements rather bare for this release of an Oscar-nominated and winning film, though the highlight of what's here is a feature-length commentary track with director Tony Gilroy and editor John Gilroy. It takes almost a full minute to get started, but once things get going, we are treated to a nice track that offers a frank and interesting discussion about the origins of the movie and the processes involved in selling the idea, writing the script, and casting the film. These participants never shy away from talking about what worked in the film and also what didn't, or what took too much effort to accomplish for the end result. They find themselves at times watching the movie rather than discussing it, but these brief pauses are more than made up for by very insightful comments. This is a recommended listen for anyone who liked the movie. The only other extra available on this disc is a series of additional scenes (480p, 5:42) with optional commentary by Tony and John Gilroy.

Michael Clayton Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Michael Clayton is not your standard-fare Hollywood motion picture. Anyone looking for the latest legal thriller in the style of John Grisham novels-turned movies need look elsewhere. While I was witness to what I believe to be very fine filmmaking, the core of it all, the story, left me wanting in the end. It seems the story might have been better told in novel form, giving the characters space to breath and flesh themselves out a bit better. Admittedly, this is the type of movie that almost demands multiple viewings, and I plan on giving it another one in the coming months, a viewing that could easily change my opinion of the movie or solidify that which I possess now. Unfortunately, Michael Clayton is a flawed Blu-ray, one with substandard audio and video quality, not to mention a dearth of supplemental materials that will leave fans let down at the end. While I cannot recommend Michael Clayton as a blind purchase, I do recommend viewing it, preferably as a rental on Blu-ray, and also as a film worth watching twice so as to ensure you capture as many of the nuances throughout the film as possible. This is a film well worth your time, but is also one that is perhaps not worth your full-price Blu-ray dollar.