MICHAEL CLAYTON (2007)

A finely acted and highly suspenseful man-vs.-system drama produced by Anthony Minghella and Sydney Pollack, both of whom passed away shortly after the movie was released. George Clooney stars in the title role as Mr. Fix-It for a major law firm – disheveled in in appearance and spirit. A lawyer and former D.A., Clayton plies his contacts with the police and in the criminal justice system to bail the firm's wealthy corporate clients out of legal messes. When one of the firm's senior partners and Clayton’s close friend Arthur (Tom Wilkinson) appears to have suffered a nervous breakdown while preparing a lawsuit for his firm's most lucrative client, Clayton is ordered by his boss (Pollack) to rein him in. Though juggling the increasing pressures of personal and job problems, Clayton investigates, and he learns that just as he has been saying, Arthur has uncovered evidence of corruption against the client. This gets him killed and Clayton fingered to be next. Clayton's boss, worried that his firm’s pending international merger will fall through, gives him a huge “bonus” to look the other way, money Clayton desperately needs to pay off a mob loan. So what does Clayton take the money and run, or what? You’ll have to stick it out till the final scene to see. (Be sure to watch the credits at the end.)