Filmmaker reacts to Michael Clayton (2007) for the FIRST TIME!

[@donna25871]

As great as the film is, the final shot of Clooney in the back of the taxi is sublime.

[@JamesVSCinema]

Oh I comment about it. So good!

[@przemekkozlowski7835]

I like to think of it as a man getting his soul back and liking how it feels.

[@SydneyForTheDuration]

As a litigation / court lawyer I can tell you the taxi ride is real time decompress processing in a safe space, with director Tony Gilroy driving just makes it priceless.

[@jameslyddall]

@@SydneyForTheDurationI love legal films like this even though I'm not practicing or in the legal profession but I didn't get that so thanks for letting me know.

[@otterpoet]

@@JamesVSCinema One of the funniest things about that shot... Clooney admits that the only thing going through his head at that moment was him trying not to laugh. Apparently, they had no permit to shoot that scene, so they simply rigged the car up with some cameras, lights, etc. and drove through New York traffic. Every few feet, someone on the street or neighboring car would start yelling, "HEY GEORGE! How you doin'?!" XD

[@AngelDjambazov]

For me it's the, "don't you know who I am? I am not the guy you kill. I am the guy you buy." That line is the crux of the film. It's delivered perfectly by Clooney.

[@dnwalker1971]

I was hoping it would have made this cut! The other pivotal line "The last place you want to see me is in court" made it - thankfully.

[@shill1444]

Yup. Clooney said it with so much frustration and he was just incredulous that this was even happening to him.

[@potterj09]

Yeah normally the guy with the most imperitive job never says much haha

[@Postchaps]

Tom Wilkinson is such a gem in everything he does. Hes one of these actors that I look over cause all I ever see are the characters hes playing.

[@timothybrown5999]

Hope you guys have seen him as Benjamin Franklin in the John Adams miniseries. He is amazing 100% of the time

[@kevinsieg2076]

Tilda Swinton won an Academy Award for her performance in this film. As I mentioned before, films work better when the director writes his own screenplay. It's more genuine and honest. Thank you for a great reaction.

[@Jared_Wignall]

This is such an amazing film. It’s quite underrated in the fact it’s not talked about much these days. Its great to see you watch this man, have a great day and take care!

[@JamesVSCinema]

Wild! Yeah I had no idea this wasn’t as popular!

[@Lexwell_Lavers]

"Syriana" is another excellent suspense/thriller starring Clooney.

[@Nick_CF]

I have been waitimg forever for Michael Clayton to pop up. Such an incredible movie.

[@MamadNobari]

This movie has one of the most satisfying and coolest endings.

[@shill1444]

Yo when he just walked out of the building and the camera stayed with him and you can see everything falling apart behind him, you can feel the energy in the audience. Even when he got in the car and left. Even when the credits were rolling, nobody moved because we were waiting for something to happen. He was victorious but he was beaten, he was exhausted, you can see the whole weight of life just sitting on him and that one moment. Black dude in the theater, the next row up said he felt like that when he quit selling ? and went to college. My wife and I both said damn.

[@tetleyT]

Some fearsome acting on display in this movie. Shout out also to James Newton Howard for his work on the score. The music adds a lot of weight to the drama.

[@shill1444]

Yo I don't think the score gets enough credit. I thought For sure you would hear bits and pieces of this score in movie trailers today but nobody is jumping on it.

[@shill1444]

I absolutely LOVE this film. Eh yo, you can feel the Bourne energy all over this thing because Gilroy just has a style that is unmatched.

[@mellow.movies]

Will watch this later, saw this in theaters as a 19 year old and loved it. Wasn't sure why but just knew it was high quality. Super underrated, overlooked and forgotten. Glad some people remember it

[@tigqc]

It's a crying ass shame Tom Wilkinson didn't win an Oscar for this. Of course that was the year of Javier Bardem and No Country for Old Men.

[@JohnnyNiteTrain]

Anton Chigurh made the Academy flip a coin

[@dlweiss]

Tilda Swinton does such a great job of showing that her character actually DOES have a conscience, but she's using every ounce of energy to suppress and ignore it, because of how pathologically desperate she is to succeed and prove herself. It makes her collapse at the very end feel completely earned, like she literally can't handle the weight of what she's done.

[@HighLordBlazeReborn]

That's pretty much most upper-middle level execs at these big companies.

[@Ken-ij4ry]

Great hearing your thoughts on this. I love a movie that treats its audience with respect.

[@JamesVSCinema]

Agreed! I felt that too.

[@maximillianosaben]

I did a double feature in theaters of No Country For Old Men and Michael Clayton, at separate theaters too. Cool darn day at the movies.

[@DANSABEATS]

Nice! I remember double featuring Michael Clayton with Atonement in theaters myself. It was the last 2 BP nominees I had not seen yet.

[@MH90]

2006/07 was just such a great couple of years for films.

[@13StopsPocketFilms]

Wow! What a day. That was a golden era of filmmaking.

[@deanthemachine8879]

The writer of the film is Tony Gilroy who did the show Andor. It’s fucking phenomenal and totally stands so far above any other Star Wars media to the point that other than the copywritten specifics, it could work completely outside of it as just an incredible scifi spy drama. I truly think you’ll love it

[@MusicalPlayground717]

Literally was going to comment exactly this. I really hope he watches Andor.

[@eatoneaton]

Don't know if anybody talked about this before, but it really seems to me that Tom Wilkinson's character inspired Chuck McGill in BCS. The general idea of a brilliant lawyer dealing with a severe mental illness, the looks, the mannerisms. Feels pretty similar

[@darrenw2890]

Stunning movie. Stunning script. Without a doubt, Clooney's lost oscar performance. The composition was sublime. Questions our morality in this corrupt, money grubby world. All great performances. A special mention to Sydney Pollock. "Your only now realising how we pay the rent". WHAT A LINE.

[@Cinema_BackLog]

bro read the script. One of the best scripts i have ever read.

[@pranavdhilipproductions3255]

the amount of joy you got from watching this mirrors my own! so glad you covered this film, it's always been my go-to for filmmaking/screenwriting inspiration, fantastic stuff. keep up the great work, James!

[@MacMov]

This is such a good work in every department - certainly in writing, in directing, in editing, and in acting. What great performances for every single part down to the supporting cast. Clooney, Swinton, Wilkinson, Pollack - hell, even the tiny parts like O'Hare as the upstate hit-and-runner. But what I like even more is the style of focussing on the characters: Swinton's mannerism and way of speaking or when she's practicing her words, overplaying her insecurity and self-doubt while putting on her armour-like clothes, or when realizing what lengths she is willing to go in the desire to succeed and to be accepted by her superiors. And then the way the camera stays on Clooney for that long final one-take while the credits already roll when his tension starts fading away because he slowly realizes he's done something he's proud of for the first time, and then his tiny little smile just before it cuts to black. Great movie.

[@lara314]

Yes! One of my all-time fave screenplays. Love how it was filmed. So underrated.

[@ezioauditore4061]

This is my favorite movie. I watch it once per year. I’m shocked next to no reactors have done this movie. I think the acting is superb, dialogue is believable and feels organic. Great reaction!

[@DanJackson1977]

That final shot in the car is an homage to the last shot in THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY... with Bob Hoskins (Roger Rabbit) as a London gangster. Classic film, definitely one to add to the list.

[@haku8645]

And the shot at 11:21 is a reference to the opening scene of NETWORK from 1976. I believe it's even in the exact same location

[@shill1444]

Wow. I did not know that. WOW ...

[@crust8016]

One of my favorite screenplays of any movie, just perfectly executed

[@enlightenmenttv2287]

Yes sir!!! This is one of those movies the average reactors don't touch...or may not even know about still lol, so props to you for checking it out with us. When you said you were gonna focus on the writing in that particular way I got excited, cause this film is a masterclass in unfolding a complex story without a lot of expository dialouge or scene construction. If you haven't seen There Will Be Blood or No Country for Old Men I hope you check those out soon. I'm a recent sub so forgive me if either of those are already on the channel. But those three films were the front-runners that Oscar season and all won major awards. Tilda Swinton won Best Supporting Actress...as the ultimate Karen 😂

[@novembernicolas5230]

He already has a reaction video to there will be blood and no country i think

[@John-ku5uu]

It's a true pleasure to have a movie director react to film.keep up the good work.

[@williamdavis8076]

Clooney's "You're so fucked" goes so hard in this movie

[@wokeKenB]

This is one of my favorite movies. It's a throwback like when I first saw it I knew it was classic. The film doesn't explain things. it just lives in it. I shared this movie with my father shortly after i saw it, it was one of the last films I had the chance to share with him. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

[@68Fourty72]

"I watched Michael Clayton when I was around 16 years old, I appreciated but did not fully grasp what was happening. More recently I rewatched Michael Clayton and found a deeper appreciation of the story, especially Arthur's monologue sticking out. I had heard that Denzel was offered the role of Michael Clayton but turned it down due to the director being his first film."

[@JODA2023]

Thank you for reviewing and reacting to this movie. I loved your presentation and visual format used in the presentation. Well done! I wish more people would watch and react to this movie too.

[@kaitlinsullivan3134]

I’m so stoked for this! This movie had everyone chattering when it first came out, launched Tilda Swinton into American mainstream after Narnia, and I’m so happy to see it’s still loved after so much time. I rewatched it recently and it’s such a solid movie.

[@mitchd9582]

This is one of my go-tos when I just want to throw something on and chill. Great movie.

[@bigneon_glitter]

Great pick, one of the best films of the 2000s. If you liked _Michael Clayton,_ you'd like: 1971's _Klute_ starring Jane Fonda & Donald Sutherland. '70s classic.

[@JamesVSCinema]

Noted! 🤘🏽

[@Laivasse]

Love this movie. The direction is a little plain and unspectacular, aside from great moments such as the kill. It's the singular moments of Clooney, Swinton and Wilkinson acting out of their skin, and the deeper themes of compromised people trying to latch back onto some sense of meaning, identity, bravery and integrity. Two corporate lawyers are saved from soullessness, one saved from death, by simple ideas like a kid's fantasy story, a pretty girl, the sight of some horses... it's very pure.

[@shill1444]

I think that was the intention of the direction. It's just that Gilroy wants you to focus on the performances of the characters as if you're sitting there watching it, like a fly on the wall. There is a lot of static shots and editing and angles that really add to the story without getting too kinetic because of the energy coming from the characters. The filming is exactly the opposite of the Bourne films. This was a brilliant move. Similar to what Fincher does with the Social Network or how Tombstone was shot.

[@22Bodhi]

One of my fav’s! We have seen elements of this film before but the writing & character performance’s just hooked me and sets this film apart. Believe this was Gilroy’s first project on his own and he hit a homer. Love the physical performances from the top 3. You can see their pain, confusion, anxiety all on their face. The movie just flows & pulls the strings tighter and so timely throughout the movie. Glad you liked, well done as always. Def return to this movie in about 6 months and you will respect it even more

[@TheJoshestWhite]

Heck yes, saw this in theaters with no idea what to expect. Such a great film.

[@zbennalley]

The "Fixer" conversation at the beginning is one of my favorite exchanges.

[@helvete_ingres4717]

there's a major character in Better Call Saul who I always thought was inspired by Tom Wilkinson's character in this

[@kellie-nd1yp]

Tilda Swinton won a deserved best supporting actress Oscar for her role here.

[@JamesVSCinema]

What a well made film this turned out to be..! Want to vote on what I should watch next? Click here! www.patreon.com/jamesvscinema Have a great day!

[@badreprint]

That little smile at the end of the credits shot makes me so proud of him every time.

[@J4zzlady]

You made me buy a copy! Love this film, and seen it so many times but I need to be able to watch it whenever I want to!! Great reaction!! 😊🤩😍

[@kenb.1212]

This was by far my favorite film of 2007. Does Arthur go insane, or, does Arthur go sane? Thank you for reacting to this brilliant film! I don't know if you realize it but you have reviewed/reacted to some great films that most of the reactors/reviewers on KZbin won't touch--PARIS, TEXAS, MICHAEL CLAYTON, LOST IN TRANSLATION. Great job James.

[@John-ku5uu]

Arthur was bipolar. He neglected his meds and finally guilt swept him away with his mid life event.

[@lindarichards3195]

I'm heartbroken over the loss of Tom Wilkinson. 😢 If you want to see a truly spectacular performance, check him out in the brilliant In the Bedroom.

[@Robisthename]

This film is slow paced for the most part, but I’ve watched it numerous times just for that sweet satisfaction in the final scene. Underrated and a must watch for sure.

[@John-ku5uu]

This film was brought back to theater after being out on rentals.

[@JoshuaDay0550]

ooooooooooo this movie is the definition of "underrated". alot of people dont know about this movie

[@tylerhackner9731]

Love this film

[@Alex-hm7nt]

I need to re-watch this. I saw it once during the hype, but I was too young to really appreciate this film

[@JamesInDigital]

One of my all-time favorites. This and O Brother are the top Clooney performances IMO. Everyone is great in this-- Tom Wilkinson, Tilda, Sydney Pollack producing and acting.

[@indeck77]

Thanks for reacting to one of my favorite films!

[@ej9842]

One of the most underrated films of all times and in my mind Clooney's best performance.

[@RavenTheVelociraptor]

I didn't notice this film on HBO Maz until i saw this reaction on YT Rq, went and watched it, and came back here to see your thoughts.

[@TomEyeTheSFMguy]

I saw this movie be structurally analyzed in a Macabre Storytelling video. It was a video on finales.

[@JamesVSCinema]

Oh nice! It’s a great video to look into when it comes to writing and setting up payoffs!

[@lewismaddox4132]

Aurthur talking about "being covered in a patina of shit." You can see it in Clooney's eyes that that's exactly how he feels. During the taxi ride, is he finally cleansed?

[@thominyourside231]

found your channel through this, one of my all time favorite films

[@JamesVSCinema]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@lomaxdesigns1716]

Most understated and underrated film ever.

[@John-ku5uu]

Great film. This reminds me of the quality of many films back in the 1970s, where nj you could see two great movies in the same week.

[@tetleyT]

"You want to bake bread, go with God. There's only one wrong answer in this whole goddamn pile, and you've got your arms wrapped around it."

[@timlanteigne298]

The hitman killing Arthur and making it look like a suicide was haunting. Made it look so easy.

[@TheJoshestWhite]

(The Actor) Might've used The Clintons as a referral it was so clean

[@Zinnober]

I am so excited to watch you watch this!

[@binkytube]

So thrilled you love Tilda Swinton too. She's my favourite actress, besides Bette Davis.

[@TheJoshestWhite]

Still wish the KZbin cut, had the line "Have you seen Arthur? He's walking around somewhere around here" (paraphrased, haven't scene this in full since theatres) Delivered so greatly by Clooney

[@stephenvalente3296]

It's a great film that doesn't get shown often enough. Must find my Bluray copy and watch again soon.

[@viddiot]

One of Clooney's best....those who haven't seen it...don't let the corporate topic put you off...it's intense. Filled with great performances. Tilda is amazing! Reminds me a lot of The Network.

[@lesgrice4419]

a work of genius, much underated, little known or talked about, a truly great thriller that has just one murder,,,,

[@connerwood7969]

Great movie. 2007 was truly a fantastic year for cinema.

[@nicholasloduca6668]

Love that the writer/director of this went on to create Andor

[@lynnc5252]

This is one of my favorites ❤

[@christiaanvandenakker901]

I'd also recommend Clooney in Up in the Air (2009)

[@caseym22]

Fantastic movie that I just watched for the first time earlier this year! 2007 was an incredible year for movies with Michael Clayton, Zodiac, There Will Be Blood, No Country For Old Men, Superbad, Hot Fuzz, Ratatouille, The Assassination of Jesse James, and the best of all of them, The Bee Movie! :)

[@thomasfahey8763]

The Gilroy brothers never disappoint. You will find Nightcrawlers and Andor a rewarding experience.

[@scoop3142]

Such a classic

[@XanderWhat]

So, this is like the dorkiest shit ever, but I have a secret subjective rating I give to channels based on their movie selections, which I call "The Clayton Rating." It's just a rating of how likely I think a reaction channel will do Michael Clayton. The higher the rating, the better that channel's movie selection is. I'm glad to know that the channel I gave the highest rating to is the one that did it first!😂😂 Edit: I told this to my friend, who I edit reactions for, and she sent me a fake Michael Clayton reaction for April Fool's day. It's on my channel 😂

[@JamesVSCinema]

LMFAO, I’m happy to have delivered then my friend hahaha. Cheers!

[@adrianguinn3331]

Without a shadow of a doubt one of the most terrifying murder scenes of all time

[@reginaldgickington4793]

Watched this in one of my film classes at temple (funny connection), and it was incredibly annoying cause the professor was busy talking about the... editing? cinematography? I can't recall, but the point is, they kept skipping around the movie cutting out 20 minute chunks to speedrun to the important bits, while the entire class wanted them to just stop skipping and let us enjoy the movie cause it was that damn interesting.

[@martinboyle9163]

Surprisingly great movie!

[@jaefuturelyknownas7732]

I dont know whether it was mentioned in your long version or the comments, but the reason Michael Clayton escaped the car bomb was because while he was driving back front upstate off the road in the distance he saw three horses staged in the exact manner as the cover of his son's book (the cover that was also used for the discovery document). He was so moved by it that he had to actually touch it, then was moved from the jaws of death.

[@lindarichards3195]

"DO I LOOK LIKE I'M NEGOTIATING?!!" ❤

[@tamarawallace1184]

Hey james how are you i hope your happy and healthy love you my guy😁

[@JamesVSCinema]

Ayyy thanks so much! Hope you’re good too!

[@John-ku5uu]

This is what movie making at it's best can do m

[@onearmedbandit84]

Michael Clayton is a 'fixer', a 'janitor' as he puts it to clean up messes on behalf of corporations or wealthy individuals. In the beginning of the film he is called in for a dude at his house that fled from a hit and run.

[@peterjoshua7625]

Great film, one of Clooney’s best. You should watch Out of Sight, the film that cemented Clooney as a movie star. Jackie Brown crossover included.

[@castle07dw]

Get Shorty and The Woman in Red are also great films I would love to see you react to

[@seansersmylie]

I always thought that this is Clooney's best film.

[@oneopinion6806]

This movie is a near top 10 for me. Beyond all the things that are great that are more flashy, the depiction of the assassination is just so haunting. There's no drama on the kill. One moment he's walking in and then they're just business-like.

[@toufexiselias]

I adore this film. I revere this film.

[@erxcbx]

My favorite movie ever 🙂

[@magicbrownie1357]

Tilda Swinton is one of the best actors of her generation.

[@John-ku5uu]

The book the kid and Arthur Talked about doesn't really exist. It seemed so real to me I thought I t was an actual novel.

[@t.o.toonstubetwo.4138]

Excuse me James feel free to say no but is it cool if I send you a playlist of these short films I made so you can do a reaction video to them?

[@jonwright6472]

I found Tilda Swinton's character to be fascinating. She's a thoroughly average woman, perhaps more sexless than others, trying to do a job she's bad at, being a villain. For sure a role, I wouldn't think Swinton could perfectly play such a role, but it also makes perfect sense.

[@gregnowak6450]

Awesome

[@ScorpionStrike7]

I only watched this movie because it was on my movie poster

[@ryanvincenec3511]

Great choice. Also, do you have a Letterbox'd account?

[@JamesVSCinema]

I don’t! I honestly blame my laziness on making one hahaha. Sooon!

[@MamadNobari]

I don't think his iq is too low for that

[@ryanvincenec3511]

@@MamadNobari damn. shots fired. haha. I just like to catalog everything and remember what I've seen and what my initial thoughts were, etc. but whatev lol

[@MamadNobari]

@@ryanvincenec3511 Yeah I personally use IMDb for that lmao. Some might argue it's even worse than ltbxd and they wouldn't be wrong.

[@andrewdunn8778]

People who like this need to watch the Star Wars series "Andor". Same writer, same incredible characters and actors and tension. No lasers or lightsabers, you forget you're watching Star Wars.

[@tovbyte]

Bro has started Better Call Saul?

[@itt23r]

MICHAEL CLAYTON is pretty good. MICHAEL COLLINS is better.

[@Patti-sg1fv]

Bro, you talk wayyyyyy too much over your movies. So much that people don't know what's going on in the movie and don't understand your reaction. UNSUBBED!

[@buchor9455]

YESSSSS...love this movie. Glad to see you reacting to it. I can't watch the reaction just yet (work), but holy crap am I stoked to see where you land on this one. Such a sleeper hit!