Some Thoughts on "Michael Clayton"

Without giving anything away, I just want to say that Tony Gilroy's Michael Clayton has the most pitch-perfect ending I have seen in a long time. It rivals The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford for the year's most stunning final moments. And the two could not be more different. Jesse James' ending is breathtaking in a haunting, elegiac sort of way - the kind that leaves you with your heart in you throat and a tear in your eye.

Clayton's ending is much more unexpetedly quiet and thoughtful. For a film that is so distinguished by its whip smart dialogue, to end the film in such a way is a ballsy choice, and it works. It is a complex film that would probably benefit from multiple viewings (I have only seen it once), but it leaves you with so much to contemplate, and actually gives you the time to do so.

Kudos to Gilroy for such excellent work.