This afternoon we saw the legal thriller Michael Clayton with George Clooney and a terrific supporting cast. You can watch the trailer and read a synopsis here: http://movies.aol.com/movie/michael-clayton/27887/showtimes?flv=1&ncid=oyjqUzrKfk0000000465&icid=rbox_movie_titles.M
Clooney gets better with every film. How he's filled out in appearance and in his acting since seeing him as a skinny kid on TV's Roseanne amazes me. I must confess I never watched E.R. not because it's not a good show or because of him, but after following St. Elsewhere I never thought any hospital show could top it. OK E.R. might prove me wrong and I should start watching its endless reruns. Clooney is very good here as a cool 'fixer' who's torn apart by divided loyalties and the topnotch script & direction makes you feel for him all the way even when he does his dirty work for his law firm. We learn enough about his past and problems, and you hope he survives when everything and everyone are against him. This is a powerful drama with enough suspense that's not overshadowed by the good performances and biting dialogue. The reviews have been good and rightly so.
Tom Wilkinson is already being touted for an Oscar as a lawyer who has a nervous breakdown from hiding the evil truth for the client he's defending and threatens to go public. He will remind you of Peter Finch's role in Network. This English actor's last big role was in The Exorcism of Emily Rose where he portrayed a priest on trial for killing a girl while trying to save her from demonic possession. Watch the spooky trailer here: http://movies.aol.com/movie/the-exorcism-of-emily-rose/20747/video/trailer-no-1/1362332
It's great to see the underused Tilda Swinton shine as an anxiety-stricken, high level lawyer who has to do her own damage control in handling Wilkinson and deal with Clooney who's trying to protect him as his mental health worsens and from others who want him silenced. Swinton, an English actress known for usually playing cool or odd characters in little seen movies,was perfectly cast as the Ice Queen in the first Narnia film. But you need to see her in a mind-blowing, gender-bender of a historical romp, so rent 1992's Orlando. Read the synopsis and watch the trailer if you doubt me: http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/122084/Orlando/trailers
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