Many people reckon that Michael Clayton is George Clooney's best performance. The legal thriller racked up an impressive selection of Oscar nominations, including a nomination for Clooney and a best supporting actress award for co-star Tilda Swinton.
In the US, it's currently streaming on Prime Video and Paramount+, while those in Australia can catch it on SBS Demand. And if you're in the UK, it'll become available on one of the best free streaming services, Samsung TV Plus, from May 2. If you haven't already seen it, you're in for a real treat.
Why is Michael Clayton one of Clooney's best movies?
The combination of movie star charisma, which of course Clooney has in spades, and a morally complex character often makes movie magic. That's definitely the case here, with Clooney playing the titular fixer who takes care of his law firm's dirty work and then gets drawn into a cover-up. And Tilda Swindon's Oscar was well deserved.
"Michael Clayton definitely has its heart in the '70s," MSNBC said. That's a compliment, as some of the best movies of that decade had flawed protagonists who weren't stereotypical good guys. The Sydney Morning Herald agreed, saying that "It's an enveloping thriller with a cool intelligence, the kind of film Redford or Newman would have jumped at 15 or 20 years ago."
Movie Mom (no link available, sorry) was impressed by Clooney's acting – "His performance here is rich and deep and layered, and seeing him work through his range of reactions is enormously moving. It provides a strong center for the legal thriller swirling around him" – while the New York Daily News said that "Every performance in this film is spot-on."
"George Clooney wastes nothing in his best performance, and the film is as breathtakingly efficient," said the Midwest Film Journal. "Specifics and surprises unfold with methodical care, and attentive adult audiences can savor one of the smartest, classiest legal thrillers ever made."
Michael Clayton is streaming now on Prime Video and on Paramount+ in the US, and SBS Demand in Ausutralia. It'll debut on Samsung TV Plus UK on May the 2nd.
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