Michael Clayton

;or, 120 minutes of George Clooney looking very dissatisfied

Major Hollywood thriller boxes to be checked:

- Criticisms of major American institutions

- Morally/ethically ambiguous protagonist

- In medias res

- Overdramatized, though shiningly current representations

- Hard stares, overwhelming tones of gravitas

That said, I did enjoy the film. Also, honestly, perhaps the 'overdramatic' characterization is mere wishful thinking. I mean, I certainly hope I'm not as dissatisfied with myself as Clooney's character in eighteen months. Despite a few wandering and useless subplots and an overall lack of believability, Michael Clayton was engaging and fun to watch if not quite as important as it seems to believe itself to be. But damn if Clooney doesn't look really upset throughout the entire thing.