Michael Clayton
Grade: A-

Just when it seemed like intelligence and subtlety had been banished from Hollywood films, along comes a gripping and complex legal thriller that delivers plenty of suspense without resorting to hammy courtroom melodrama. George Clooney plays the title character, a recovering gambling addict who does dirty deeds for a major New York City law firm until a colleague’s mental breakdown and a corporation’s foul sportsmanship cause him to question his ethics. Tony Gilroy - who wrote the screenplays for all three Bourne movies - shows great promise in his directorial debut, drawing remarkable performances from Clooney, Tilda Swinton and Tom Wilkinson.