Michael Clayton vs The Good German

George Clooney is one of those actors who seem to have been born an adult. You’d draw closer comparisons between Clooney and actors like Humphrey Bogart or Cary Grant than you would between Clooney and any of his contemporaries, and that’s to his benefit. I can think of no other modern actor, aside from maybe Harrison Ford, who would be as comfortably suited to the title role of Michael Clayton (and while we’re on the subject, somebody write Ford a role like this, ASAP). And at times, as with Mr. Ford, I’ve thought of George Clooney less as a great actor, and more as someone who capably carries satisfying movies. Why is that? I’m not sure why it never occurred to me before, but after Michael Clayton, my eyes are permanently opened. George Clooney, in addition to being so casual and cinema-classic and gentle-dudely, is an actor to be reckoned with. In Michael Clayton we see a George Clooney we’ve not seen before. Michael Clayton is supposedly one of those guys who can fix problems, but it’s just not working this time, and increasingly, as the movie progresses, Clooney portrays an interesting form of anger that only comes when you’re truly exhausted.

Michael Clayton has done some living, but he’s not washed up yet. He still gets the hair in place and the tie knotted and the car washed. He’s a corporate lawyer, and he looks the  part, on the outside. But Michael’s also got a failed restaurant, a frustrated young son, a deadbeat brother and a bomb in his car. It’s that last thing that’s really starting to get to him. Michael’s gotten caught up in a case involving his colleague, Arthur (Tom Wilkinson), a lawyer representing a weed-killing agribusiness in a class-action cancer suit like in Erin Brockovich. In a moment off his medication, Arthur has a guilt-ridden meltdown, realizing he’s dedicated his life to representing polluters. We’ve certainly seen characters having crises of conscience in movies before, but not like this. Arthur screams, begs, rants, and ultimately, strips during a meeting he barged into. The scene is played via a camera that was intended to record a deposition. It’s like something out of a corporate version of Blair Witch, and it is an unsettling watch, to say the least. Wilkinson does some great work as Arthur. He’s turned over to Michael’s care, and proves himself a challenging guest. Michael can’t keep him in a room, off the phone or out of trouble, which is how I liked it, because every opportunity Tom Wilkinson has to be off the rails in Michael Clayton is another opportunity for Arthur to actually make a bit of sense, and another opportunity for us to marvel at some flat-out brilliant acting. Also providing that, and then some, is Tilda Swinton, as a rep for the agribusiness. In a different Hollywood, this is the kind of character that would get a spin-off movie (instead of, you know, the Scorpion King). Swinton’s character is a bit like Michael Clayton; she’s a pro, but desperate, cornered and putting on a certain appearance in hopes that it might manifest itself inside as well. Swinton and Clooney meet near the end of the movie in a scene built completely on well-timed lies. What a great cast.

Michael Clayton was written and directed by Tony Gilroy. I’ve probably not described anything very thrilling, but you can trust me that Michael Clayton is indeed a thriller. Other movies have attempted a mix of legal drama and thriller, but they usually end up with shoot-outs or bodies in freezers or last minute grand-stands in the courtroom. Michael Clayton, somehow, remains a top-notch character piece; we’re actually getting to know this man and at least three sides of his complicated life. Simultaneously, there are some smartly-shot edge-of-your-seat moments here. Tony Gilroy has never directed a movie before. Here’s to getting even better from here (although for screenwriting, he had cred with me already, thanks to the Jason Bourne movies.)

Of course, Michael Clayton was produced by Clooney and Steven Soderbergh, in between their money-making movies. How cool are these two? Every couple years, they throw an Ocean’s party, and then spend the profits on smaller, artier movies like Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and Full Frontal. They don’t always work, but they’re always interesting, and talent comes out of the woodwork for these guys. Consider The Good German.

The Good German proves what kind of movie star George Clooney is by showing what kind of movie star he would have been in another era. The answer, of course, is huge one. He’s basically got the Bogart role here, with a luminescent, perfectly-accented Cate Blanchett as his Bergman. Man, we already knew Blanchett could act, but styled to the nines and shot in black and white, she makes a strong case for herself being one of the all-time greats.

I just wish it were in a better movie.

The Good German is set in postwar Berlin. Clooney plays a military journalist who once had a relationship with Blanchett’s tragic prostitute, Lena. She’s like Sally Bowles meets Sophie’s Choice. Currently, Lena’s in a scary relationship with an abusive, conniving monster, played by that great screen villain, Tobey Maguire. Yeah, I know. Listen, I think Maguire is a fine actor, and a lot of what he does in The Good German is great work. He’s playing against type of course, and shows a nice range, from naiveté to true menace. But in this period, in this style of filming, alongside Clooney and Blanchett, who were born for this kind of stuff? Dude is modern. He might as well be Marty McFly. And that’s ultimately the problem of The Good German. As much as it might pretend, it’s just never going to be an old movie. And it’s not overly stylized in terms of acting or filming, like Far From Heaven, and it’s not tongue-in-cheek like Ed Wood, so we’re just kind of left wondering where the color went.

And man, I’m trying not to say this, but The Good German is crazy boring. I had to change seats twice to stay awake. Do not lie on the couch to watch The Good German. Keep a lamp on. Wear uncomfortable shoes.

But I had to watch it. It’s Clooney and Soderbergh. Those guys made a brilliant film with Jennifer Lopez. They made Casey the cool Affleck. They made agribusiness law a thrilling subject. I’ll watch anything these guys try. Hey, it’s not like Ocean’s Fourteen isn’t right around the corner.

Michael Clayton: A
The Good German: C