Michael Clayton (film)

Michael Clayton is a 2007 American legal thriller film written and directed by Tony Gilroy, starring George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton and Sydney Pollack. Loosely based on the multinational corporation Monsanto, the film chronicles the attempts by attorney Michael Clayton to cope with a colleague's apparent mental breakdown and the corruption and intrigue surrounding a major client of his law firm being sued in a class action case over the effects of toxic agrochemicals.

The film received positive reviews and was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for Gilroy, Best Actor for Clooney, and Best Supporting Actor for Wilkinson, with Swinton winning the award for Best Supporting Actress.

Plot

Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is a "fixer" for a prestigious New York City law firm, using his connections and knowledge of legal loopholes for clients' benefit. After leaving an underground poker game and dealing with a wealthy client's (Denis O'Hare) hit and run, Michael drives despondently and stops at a remote field, where some horses are standing on a hill. As he climbs the hill to admire them, the car explodes behind him.