Michael Clayton

[PM Thor]

Wow, what a great movie. I had no idea what this movie was about, in fact, I got dragged to it. Would have rather have seen Strange Wilderness, because I like slapstick.

But this movie deserves any award it gets. Great plot, great subplots, great character development, great ending. It looks like a pretty cut and dry ending, if you want it to be that way, but if you want to think about it, it is very multifaceted. Easily Clooneys best work yet. Easily. I can't say how much I liked this movie. (although some might think it kind of slow).

[Nigel Tufnel]

Saw Michael Clayton and liked it a lot....saw No Country For Old Men and thought it was one of the best movies I've seen in the last decade. Just saw There Will Be Blood this morning....it was amazing...not as good as No Country, IMHO...but Daniel Day Lewis is a complete freak of nature when it comes to acting. The guy comes out with a movie once every 5 years, and his acting is beyond brilliant. He may be the best actor...EVER. You say Michael Clayton deserves all the awards it may get...well, Clooney, as much as I liked his performance in Clayton, doesn't even deserve to be in the same category as Daniel Day Lewis in There Will Be Blood. Perhaps Clooney would win in another year, but not this year....Lewis' performance in that movie...well, it may be the best thing I've ever seen in my 34 years on this planet.

Amazing thing about this year's movies....Javier Bardem may have given one of the best supporting actor performance's I've ever seen in my life.

Daniel Day Lewis...best actor...without a doubt.
Javier Bardem...best supporting actor..without a doubt.

Tom Wilkinson probably would have won the award for best supporting actor in any other year...but not this year.

Best movie? Personally, I enjoyed No Country For Old Men better than There Will Be Blood. No Country was much more watchable. IMHO, There Will Be Blood was more of a 2 hour 45 minute character study of a sociopath....being acted by the best actor of our lives. I love Deniro, Hurt, Pacino....but Daniel Day Lewis....he may just be in a league by himself.

[PM Thor]

I saw No Country.

Didn't really think the characters ever developed. I thought it was a great movie, but was not overly impressed with it. I thought that they left too much to the imagination, and for me, I go to a movie to be taken away into another world, so what happened wasn't very satisfying, especially considering that the rest of the movie wasn't so subjective as the ending was. (I am trying not to let any hints or spoilers out).

I really want to see "There Will Be Blood", but I don't know if I have time...

[Nigel Tufnel]

I can certainly appreciate that, Thor. I completely understand your criticism. I think there are certain movies that you don't go to be entertained with a complete story line. I think No Country definitely delievered....There Will Be Blood...well, I could see why the normal movie goer would hate it. What didn't you like about No Country? I thought the ending was perfect, all things being considered. Without giving away the ending...TLJ character battled with his mortality the entire movie....at the end, he was still battling with it...even more so.

The ending, IMHO, was complete perfection...it didn't tie things together....but it ended with a guy battling with his mortality continuing to do so...as he gets closer to death. And death.....was PERSONIFIED by Bordem. I don't know...I gradutated from X with an English degree...maybe I'm completely used to weird stuff after having analyized Shakespeare line by line by Souza.

IMHO, last year's best movie...Pan's Labrynith.
This year, No Country For Old Men...

Xavier's Engligh program has certainly made me weird...LOL.

Clayton was great though. I enjoyed Wilkinson better than Clooney.

And Thor, if you didn't like No Country....I would seriously recommend you wait for There Will Be Blood on DVD...there is a good chance you won't make it through...if you do, you probably won't like it. It was much harder to sit through than No Country. If you can appreciate acting at its finest, go see it. If you want to be entertained by a story line, STAY AWAY...lol. Beat the HAWK.

[PM Thor]

I'm not saying that I didn't like No Country.

I just thought that there were some very important points that were left to the imagination..ie the main character, what exactly happened? And his wife? What exactly happened?

I thought it was too dark, the message was way too depressing. You don't really know how the main character came to that, even if they hinted at it. You don't know really what happened to the hit man after the wreck....

It left way, way too many things open ended for me. I liked it, but was disappointed that there wasn't at least one subplot that didn't close. Michael Clayton at least closed one subplot, but left you wondering about the main character.

I did think both were very good. But I think Michael Clayton was much better than No Country. I need to see There Will Be Blood. In fact, that's the movie I suggested tonight, but alas, got overrulled by the girl, and you know how that is.

[Nigel Tufnel]

Thor, if you didn't like No Country....honestly, don't go see There Will Be Blood. You will be disappointed. Wait for DVD, when you can sit at home and drink your concoction of choice. Trust me here, man. I'm saving you probably 30 dollars and a lot of disappointment. TWBB is great...for what it offers. It doesn't offer a plot where everything is tied up.....stay away, man.

Want to watch something good....watch Breaking Bad on AMC. If you have TWC, its on HD In Demand....great show.

Seriously, I'm saving you 3 hours and disappointment. If you can watch a movie and forget about the plot and watch a stunning perforamance, go see TWBB....if you're a plot guy, don't waste your time. Wait for DVD.

Go X!!!

[PM Thor]

I think I am a plot guy. I like movies to tie things up (for the most part, although the motivation for Michael Clayton isn't so cut and dry).

Dammit. Now I really want to see TWBB.

[joebba]

I think I am a plot guy. I like movies to tie things up (for the most part, although the motivation for Michael Clayton isn't so cut and dry).

Dammit. Now I really want to see TWBB.

Then I would guess you are not a fan of Kubrick's movies. His movies require the watcher to really bring his or her interpretation of the subject matter.

[vee4xu]

I saw Michael Clayton when it first came out and really enjoyed it. I must admit to being a bit surprised when I saw it was nominated for best picture, but it was very well done.

[Stonebreaker]

Not the biggest Clooney fan, although I'm glad you liked the movie.