7.6 | / 10 |
Users | 3.8 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.2 |
Michael Clayton is an in-house "fixer" at one of the largest corporate law firms in New York. A former criminal prosecutor, Clayton takes care of Kenner, Bach & Ledeen's dirtiest work at the behest of the firm's co-founder Marty Bach. Though burned out and hardly content with his job as a fixer, his divorce, a failed business venture and mounting debt have left Clayton inextricably tied to the firm. At U/North, meanwhile, the career of litigator Karen Crowder rests on the multi-million dollar settlement of a class action suit that Clayton's firm is leading to a seemingly successful conclusion. But when Kenner Bach's brilliant and guilt-ridden attorney Arthur Edens sabotages the U/North case, Clayton faces the biggest challenge of his career and his life.
Starring: George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, Sydney Pollack, Michael O'KeefeDrama | 100% |
Thriller | 26% |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English, English SDH, French, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 2.5 | |
Audio | 2.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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