Post by klep on Apr 29, 2019 6:42:05 GMT -6
MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 4/29: Michael Clayton
CONSPIRACY WEEK!
They say it's not the crime that gets you; it's the coverup. Nixon wasn't brought down by the Watergate break in, he was brought down by the attempt to hide it. Often times when there's a criminal conspiracy, the underlying facts are never truly known because conspiracies tend to work in concealing the true extent of their crimes. Witness the Mueller investigation, which was not able to establish beyond a reasonable doubt any direct coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign - largely because the conspiracy destroyed evidence and lied to a point where it stymied Mueller. Instead he was only able to find sufficient evidence to bring charges of obstruction and various financial crimes. People are going to jail, but much greater wrongdoing will probably go unpunished.
Michael Clayton presents us with just such an attempt at a coverup. It begins as a high-powered lawyer Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson) has made the decision to torpedo the multi-billion class-action case he's working on because he knows his client U-North is guilty as hell. Fortunately for U-North Edens is also a manic-depressive who has stopped taking his medication, so there's a chance for Kenner, Bach, and Ledeen to keep things under control. Enter Michael Clayton (George Clooney), the firm's fixer. He's dispatched to bring Edens back into the fold.
What Clayton doesn't know, and what the firm is only just about to learn, is that Edens has gotten his hands on a memo which conclusively shows that U-North knew their knew pesticide was deadly. U-North's face in this film is Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton), the company's general counsel. It's unclear whether she already knew of the company's guilt, but it's very clear that it doesn't matter. She's committed to keeping it hidden and she's willing to have people killed to do so.
And she almost succeeds. Michael fumbles his way through trying to simultaneously fix things for the firm and protect Edens - a man he cares about and considers a friend/patron - but there's no indication he cares whether U-North is guilty or not. He wasn't going to squeal.
But Crowder has Edens killed. It's done well; police find no reason to suspect anything but a suicide. But it eats at Michael who struggles to believe it, particularly knowing as he does what Edens was up to. He starts digging, so Crowder tries to have him killed as well.
It's another good attempt. It almost works, but for an incomplete GPS map in the hitmen's car and a chance stop by Michael. The failed assassination drives him to go to the police, and this becomes the rare case where the full crime gets exposed. Or almost, anyway. Eden's death may never be demonstrated to be a murder, but at least Michael got to complete his friend's final work.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 5/6: Tank Girl
SADIE HAWKINS WEEK!
For Sadie Hawkins week we've ended up selecting Rachel Talalay's adaptation of the anarchic punk comic Tank Girl. Join us next week as we discuss a film which manages to retain a lot of its heart despite a hostile studio messing it up.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 4/30: Chinatown
Forget it, The Dissolve, it's Chinatown; available for rent in the usual places including Amazon Video, where it is free for Prime members. We'll have a thread up on Wednesday!
CONSPIRACY WEEK!
They say it's not the crime that gets you; it's the coverup. Nixon wasn't brought down by the Watergate break in, he was brought down by the attempt to hide it. Often times when there's a criminal conspiracy, the underlying facts are never truly known because conspiracies tend to work in concealing the true extent of their crimes. Witness the Mueller investigation, which was not able to establish beyond a reasonable doubt any direct coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign - largely because the conspiracy destroyed evidence and lied to a point where it stymied Mueller. Instead he was only able to find sufficient evidence to bring charges of obstruction and various financial crimes. People are going to jail, but much greater wrongdoing will probably go unpunished.
Michael Clayton presents us with just such an attempt at a coverup. It begins as a high-powered lawyer Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson) has made the decision to torpedo the multi-billion class-action case he's working on because he knows his client U-North is guilty as hell. Fortunately for U-North Edens is also a manic-depressive who has stopped taking his medication, so there's a chance for Kenner, Bach, and Ledeen to keep things under control. Enter Michael Clayton (George Clooney), the firm's fixer. He's dispatched to bring Edens back into the fold.
What Clayton doesn't know, and what the firm is only just about to learn, is that Edens has gotten his hands on a memo which conclusively shows that U-North knew their knew pesticide was deadly. U-North's face in this film is Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton), the company's general counsel. It's unclear whether she already knew of the company's guilt, but it's very clear that it doesn't matter. She's committed to keeping it hidden and she's willing to have people killed to do so.
And she almost succeeds. Michael fumbles his way through trying to simultaneously fix things for the firm and protect Edens - a man he cares about and considers a friend/patron - but there's no indication he cares whether U-North is guilty or not. He wasn't going to squeal.
But Crowder has Edens killed. It's done well; police find no reason to suspect anything but a suicide. But it eats at Michael who struggles to believe it, particularly knowing as he does what Edens was up to. He starts digging, so Crowder tries to have him killed as well.
It's another good attempt. It almost works, but for an incomplete GPS map in the hitmen's car and a chance stop by Michael. The failed assassination drives him to go to the police, and this becomes the rare case where the full crime gets exposed. Or almost, anyway. Eden's death may never be demonstrated to be a murder, but at least Michael got to complete his friend's final work.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 5/6: Tank Girl
SADIE HAWKINS WEEK!
For Sadie Hawkins week we've ended up selecting Rachel Talalay's adaptation of the anarchic punk comic Tank Girl. Join us next week as we discuss a film which manages to retain a lot of its heart despite a hostile studio messing it up.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 4/30: Chinatown
Forget it, The Dissolve, it's Chinatown; available for rent in the usual places including Amazon Video, where it is free for Prime members. We'll have a thread up on Wednesday!