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Article: 'Michael Clayton': Clooney's Dark Knight of the Soul
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- October 5, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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George Clooney glides blearily through a long Manhattan night in
"Michael Clayton," a nervy legal thriller in which he suppresses his
congenital charisma in a fascinating anti-star turn. A throwback in
the best sense of the word, "Michael Clayton," which marks the
auspicious directorial debut of screenwriter Tony Gilroy (best known
for the "Bourne" movies), harks back to the great films of the 1970s
in its gritty urban realism, suave sense of style and moral
complexity.
From its eerily hushed opening sequences in a Manhattan law
office after hours to its pared-down narrative and sleek visual
design, "Michael Clayton" proves the adage that less can be much
more. In the tradition of such ...