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'Michael Clayton’ With Chris Ryan, Justin Charity, and Lindsay Zoladz

March 29, 2018 · Michael Clayton (2007) · Crime · Drama · Mystery · 1:14:55

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Half-Assed Internet Research

Chris Ryan▶ 23:01The horses appear in Ridley Scott's Gladiator (mentioned as 'Realm and Conquer')
Lindsay Zoladz▶ 24:29Found a good gif on Michael Clayton Tumblr of the shot with the car explosion and horses

Casting What-Ifs

Chris Ryan▶ 25:36Denzel Washington — Denzel Washington was originally offered the Michael Clayton role but turned it down because Tony Gilroy was a first-time director
Justin Charity▶ 26:21Denzel Washington — Discussed Denzel would have played Michael Clayton more exasperated vs Clooney's repressed conflict; also suggested Mark Wahlberg as comedic alternative and Chris Cooper as Marty Bach
Lindsay Zoladz▶ 27:32Mark Wahlberg — Found the movie hard to recast, briefly considered Mark Wahlberg but concluded he would try to play the hero too much, prefers Clooney's dejected performance

Most Rewatchable Scene

Chris Ryan▶ 36:27The 'I'm not a miracle worker, I'm a janitor' scene
Justin Charity▶ 32:57The baguette scene with Arthur Eden and Michael Clayton
Lindsay Zoladz▶ 30:23The Michael-Karen confrontation at the end of the movie

What's Aged the Best

Chris Ryan▶ 45:19The use of that specific time period - post-Enron, pre-financial crisis - where there was a lot of money out there but also a lot of paranoia

Dion Waiters Award

Chris Ryan▶ 50:28Sydney Pollack — Sidney Pollack as Marty Bach
Justin Charity▶ 51:20Sydney Pollack — Sidney Pollack (considered Chris Cooper but stuck with Pollack)
Lindsay Zoladz▶ 51:28Sydney Pollack — Sidney Pollack

Apex Mountain

Chris Ryan▶ 54:02Tony Gilroy — Yes for Tony Gilroy - this is easily his Apex Mountain. Yes for George Clooney - this is his Apex Mountain.
Justin Charity▶ 54:06George Clooney — Yes for George Clooney - there's a precision to Clooney as Michael Clayton, he nails it in a hard to articulate way.
Lindsay Zoladz▶ 54:52George Clooney — Yes for George Clooney - this is peak phase two Clooney, her favorite performance of the second half of his career. Yes for Tilda Swinton - this is the beginning of peak Tilda Swinton in America.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Chris Ryan▶ 1:03:45Why was this movie allowed to be made given the disconnect between its marketing/premise and its actual loopy, whimsical tone
Justin Charity▶ 1:06:51How do the hitmen think a car bomb works - why do they wait until he's upstate, has his cathartic meeting, then blow up the car instead of doing it in the city
Lindsay Zoladz▶ 1:05:47Arthur's creepy obsession with Anna (Merritt Weaver's character) has sexual undertones that feel gross

Best Quote

Chris Ryan▶ 1:09:48I'm not a miracle worker. I'm a janitor.
Justin Charity▶ 1:09:23Michael, I have great affection for you and you live a very rich and interesting life
Lindsay Zoladz▶ 1:09:10Michael, I have great affection for you and you live a very rich and interesting life, but you're a bag man, not an attorney.

Who Won the Movie

Chris Ryan▶ 1:11:31Tilda Swinton — Acknowledges it's between Clooney, Wilkinson, or Swinton; emphasizes Swinton as the 'curve ball' who brings essential otherworldly quality
Justin Charity▶ 1:11:31Tom Wilkinson — Tom Wilkinson - says 'the movie should be called Tom Wilkinson' and 'it's Wilkinson for me'
Lindsay Zoladz▶ 1:11:01Tom Wilkinson — Torn between Clooney and Wilkinson; appreciates Clooney's underrated performance but leans toward 'maybe Wilkinson'

Movies Referenced (21)

There Will Be Blood (2007)

6 mentions · Lindsay Zoladz, Chris Ryan▶ 56:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Zodiac (2007)

5 mentions · Chris Ryan, Lindsay Zoladz▶ 57:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Bourne Legacy (2012)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 1:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Batman (1989)

2 mentions · Lindsay Zoladz▶ 55:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Inside Man (2006)

2 mentions · Justin Charity▶ 27:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

A Civil Action (1998)

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 47:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

A Few Good Men (1992)

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 1:00:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

A Time to Kill (1996)

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 49:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

All the President's Men (1976)

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 3:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Armageddon (1998)

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 1:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Crimson Tide (1995)

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 26:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Do the Right Thing (1989)

1 mentions · Lindsay Zoladz▶ 9:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (5)

George Clooney

44 mentions · Lindsay Zoladz, Justin Charity, Chris Ryan · Known for The Ides of March, Michael Clayton▶ 2:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sidney Lumet

9 mentions · Chris Ryan, Justin Charity, Lindsay Zoladz · Known for 12 Angry Men▶ 3:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Frank Perry

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 3:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Hal Ashby

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for In the Heat of the Night, Harold and Maude, Being There▶ 3:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jayson Clute

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Titanic, American Psycho▶ 3:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (20)

Tom Wilkinson

17 mentions · Justin Charity, Chris Ryan, Lindsay Zoladz · Known for Michael Clayton, The Full Monty▶ 3:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Denzel Washington

12 mentions · Chris Ryan, Justin Charity, Lindsay Zoladz▶ 25:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tilda Swinton

12 mentions · Chris Ryan, Lindsay Zoladz, Justin Charity · Known for We Need to Talk About Kevin, Snowpiercer, Michael Clayton▶ 7:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chris Cooper

9 mentions · Justin Charity, Chris Ryan, Lindsay Zoladz · Known for American Beauty▶ 28:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mark Wahlberg

4 mentions · Lindsay Zoladz, Justin Charity · Known for The Fighter, Boogie Nights, The Departed▶ 27:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Adam Maid

2 mentions · Lindsay Zoladz · Known for Rio 2▶ 51:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Edward Norton

2 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Fight Club, American History X, Primal Fear▶ 53:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gordon Ramsay

2 mentions · Lindsay Zoladz▶ 1:03:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael O'Keefe

2 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Caddyshack, Michael Clayton▶ 48:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Annette Bening

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for American Beauty, 20th Century Women▶ 1:11:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Broken Social Scene

1 mentions · Justin Charity · Known for Half Nelson▶ 33:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Daniel Day-Lewis

1 mentions · Lindsay Zoladz · Known for There Will Be Blood, The Last of the Mohicans, Lincoln▶ 56:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (7)

Tony Gilroy

7 mentions · Chris Ryan, Lindsay Zoladz · Known for Michael Clayton, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story▶ 1:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Grisham

3 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Runaway Jury, A Time to Kill▶ 2:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Brian Koppelman

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Runaway Jury, Runner Runner, Michael Clayton▶ 48:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dan Gilroy

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Nightcrawler▶ 26:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Malcolm X

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Malcolm X▶ 26:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Satoshi Kon

1 mentions · Justin Charity▶ 1:01:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Scott Turow

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Presumed Innocent▶ 6:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗