Michael Clayton

I watched Michael Clayton today because it was the last of the Best Picture nominees that I hadn't seen and although I've heard mild-it's-alright-too-much-talking reviews I actually really enjoyed it. I don't mind slow moving films because they aren't about plot, they're about character, and this one was. The cinematography was pretty money, but it won't win best picture because of that - it's too similar to Crash. Even if you can't decide which film will win (it's between No Country and There will be Blood... I'm rooting for No Country because Javier Bardem is my main man, among several other reasons) it's pretty simple to figure out who wont. Michael Clayton wont because it's the only movie that doesn't really tug at anyone's heart strings: Juno appeals to everyone who likes Sunny D, witty banter and adorable pregnant girls (or anyone who likes realism filtered through great one liners), Atonement appeals to anyone who's ever lost someone, No Country appeals to (or should appeal to) everyone because you feel lonley (but after thinking about it for a week you decide it's great because you're not as lonley as the film is), and There Will Be Blood appeals to anyone who's ever struggled with good and evil (Daniel Day Lewis isn't so bad! Paul Dano's character is the really horrible one). So between it's similarities to Crash's look and it's removal from your heart (and because of that, long term memory), Michael Clayton is great for a slow night with a warm fire, but it's not going to take home Best Picture.