Every time I saw the Michael Clayton trailer I got the impression that it would be a good movie, although I had absolutely no idea what it was about. It seemed to be setting up Clooney's title character as someone on the wrong side of a legal battle, but there was really no insight into what the story was about. Nonetheless, the trailer was not put together in a manner that enticed me to plunk down my cash for it. Still, positive word swirled around it, and outside of superhero movies, Clooney can generally be relied on for a good performance. I am glad I went, but I do not completely agree with the high praise that I have seen for it.

George Clooney is Michael Clayton, a fixer for a high-powered New York law firm. In other words, he is the guy called in when one of the firm's high-profile clients gets into a mess, or to use Clayton's description, he is a janitor. As the film opens, Clayton is in the midst of a high stakes underground poker match; as he leaves he gets a call. He heads out to the Westchester home of a man who was involved in a hit and run, and who left the scene. Clayton is described as a miracle worker by his bosses, but he appears as anything but. He stands in front of the client a mere shell of his reputed self. This is not a miracle worker, but a man who is being beaten by his personal circumstances and is on the cusp of a major turning point in his life.

Most of the middle of Michael Clayton is flashback. After our introduction to the worn down Clayton we are taken back to the beginning of a series of events that led him to the biggest moment of his life. It is in this middle where we get plenty of fully rendered characters who give the whole the illusion of being more intelligent than it is. These well-crafted distractions cover up a conventional and straightforward plot. It is these characters who elevate the mundane circumstances of the plot and make this film much better than it really has any right to be.

The plot is straightforward and easy to follow. There is a multi-billion dollar class action suit that has been ongoing for many years between a chemical company called U/North and the families of those they are accused of killing with their product. In the middle of a deposition the law firm's lead counsel strips down and appears to take the side of the plaintiffs. This leads to Clayton being called in to fix the problem. This brings the introduction of said counsel Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson), a man who has reached the edge of what he is willing to take. Every high-priced law firm is going to have clients with secrets, secrets they are willing to pay the retainer fees to be kept secret. This has to weigh on the mind of those involved in keeping those secrets buried. Edens reached the point of no return, and became set on exposing the dirty laundry to the harsh light of day. The other primary player is U/North chief counsel Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton). She is a truly despicable character as she goes to great lengths to protect her company and herself.