I'm not the guy you kill. I'm the guy you buy."
Neon Dreams is once again closing out another year with a film we're declaring a holiday classic, for no better reason than because we say so. It's Tony Gilroy's Michael Clayton! And there is simply no better time to enjoy a thriller that critiques capitalism, greed, and the ruthless corporate machine than right smack in the middle of the holiday season.
George Clooney plays the titular Michael Clayton, an in-house "fixer" at one of New York's largest corporate law firms, cleaning up his clients' messes from hit-and-runs to damaging press to shoplifting wives and crooked politicians. Burned-out and debt-ridden with nowhere else to go, Clayton takes on a case that begins with the firm's top litigator (Tom Wilkinson) having a public mental breakdown and becomes an edge-of-your-seat David-and-Goliath story.
Tense, immediate, and unbelievably satisfying, Michael Clayton has built a voracious cult following in recent years, and for good reason. Clooney's icy cool demeanor is a perfect match for Tony Gilroy's meticulous direction, and the cinematography by Robert Elswit (There Will Be Blood, Nightcrawler) lights up the screen. Featuring winter coats, chilly night drives, morally compromised characters, and a lingering sense of dread, Michael Clayton makes a strong case for being the perfect Christmas film for all who do not celebrate.
This screening and others are made possible thanks to our wonderful sponsor Hollywood Suite.