'Michael Clayton’ With Chris Ryan, Justin Charity, and Lindsay Zoladz
March 29, 2018 · Michael Clayton (2007) · Crime · Drama · Mystery · 1:14:55 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
Categories
Half-Assed Internet Research
Lindsay ZoladzFound a good gif on Michael Clayton Tumblr of the shot with the car explosion and horses▶ 24:29
Casting What-Ifs
Chris RyanDenzel Washington — Denzel Washington was originally offered the Michael Clayton role but turned it down because Tony Gilroy was a first-time director▶ 25:36
Justin CharityDenzel 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▶ 26:21
Lindsay ZoladzMark 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▶ 27:32
What's Aged the Best
Chris RyanThe 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▶ 45:19
Dion Waiters Award
Justin CharitySydney Pollack — Sidney Pollack (considered Chris Cooper but stuck with Pollack)▶ 51:20
Apex Mountain
Chris RyanTony Gilroy — Yes for Tony Gilroy - this is easily his Apex Mountain. Yes for George Clooney - this is his Apex Mountain.▶ 54:02
Justin CharityGeorge Clooney — Yes for George Clooney - there's a precision to Clooney as Michael Clayton, he nails it in a hard to articulate way.▶ 54:06
Lindsay ZoladzGeorge 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.▶ 54:52
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Chris RyanWhy was this movie allowed to be made given the disconnect between its marketing/premise and its actual loopy, whimsical tone▶ 1:03:45
Justin CharityHow 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▶ 1:06:51
Lindsay ZoladzArthur's creepy obsession with Anna (Merritt Weaver's character) has sexual undertones that feel gross▶ 1:05:47
Best Quote
Justin CharityMichael, I have great affection for you and you live a very rich and interesting life▶ 1:09:23
Lindsay ZoladzMichael, I have great affection for you and you live a very rich and interesting life, but you're a bag man, not an attorney.▶ 1:09:10
Who Won the Movie
Chris RyanTilda Swinton — Acknowledges it's between Clooney, Wilkinson, or Swinton; emphasizes Swinton as the 'curve ball' who brings essential otherworldly quality▶ 1:11:31
Justin CharityTom Wilkinson — Tom Wilkinson - says 'the movie should be called Tom Wilkinson' and 'it's Wilkinson for me'▶ 1:11:31
Lindsay ZoladzTom Wilkinson — Torn between Clooney and Wilkinson; appreciates Clooney's underrated performance but leans toward 'maybe Wilkinson'▶ 1:11:01
Movies Referenced (28)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| There Will Be Blood (2007) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Lindsay Zoladz, Chris Ryan | ▶ 56:12 |
| Zodiac (2007) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Chris Ryan, Lindsay Zoladz | ▶ 57:42 |
| The Bourne Legacy (2012) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 1:22 |
| Batman (1989) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Lindsay Zoladz | ▶ 55:29 |
| Chinatown (1974) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan, Lindsay Zoladz | ▶ 48:33 |
| Inside Man (2006) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Justin Charity | ▶ 27:18 |
| Long Shot (2019) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Lindsay Zoladz, Justin Charity | ▶ 30:33 |
| A Few Good Men (1992) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 1:00:04 |
| A Time to Kill (1996) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 49:40 |
| All the President's Men (1976) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 3:14 |
| Armageddon (1998) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 1:13 |
| Chef (2014) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Lindsay Zoladz | ▶ 1:03:31 |
Directors Referenced (5)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Clooney | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 44 | Lindsay Zoladz, Justin Charity, Chris Ryan | The Ides of March, Michael Clayton | ▶ 2:12 |
| Sidney Lumet | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 9 | Chris Ryan, Justin Charity, Lindsay Zoladz | 12 Angry Men | ▶ 3:20 |
| Frank Perry | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 3:20 | |
| Hal Ashby | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | In the Heat of the Night, Harold and Maude | ▶ 3:20 |
| Jayson Clute | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | Titanic, American Psycho | ▶ 3:18 |
Actors Referenced (20)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Wilkinson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 17 | Justin Charity, Chris Ryan, Lindsay Zoladz | Michael Clayton, The Full Monty | ▶ 3:49 |
| Denzel Washington | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 12 | Chris Ryan, Justin Charity, Lindsay Zoladz | ▶ 25:36 | |
| Tilda Swinton | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 12 | Chris Ryan, Lindsay Zoladz, Justin Charity | We Need to Talk About Kevin, Snowpiercer, Michael Clayton | ▶ 7:52 |
| Chris Cooper | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 9 | Justin Charity, Chris Ryan, Lindsay Zoladz | American Beauty | ▶ 28:42 |
| Mark Wahlberg | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Lindsay Zoladz, Justin Charity | The Fighter, Boogie Nights, The Departed | ▶ 27:43 |
| Adam Maid | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Lindsay Zoladz | Rio 2 | ▶ 51:45 |
| Edward Norton | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan | Fight Club, American History X, Primal Fear | ▶ 53:41 |
| Gordon Ramsay | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Lindsay Zoladz | ▶ 1:03:18 | |
| Michael O'Keefe | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan | Caddyshack, Michael Clayton | ▶ 48:02 |
| Annette Bening | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | American Beauty, 20th Century Women | ▶ 1:11:39 |
| Broken Social Scene | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Justin Charity | ▶ 33:02 | |
| Daniel Day-Lewis | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Lindsay Zoladz | There Will Be Blood, The Last of the Mohicans, Lincoln | ▶ 56:12 |
Writers Referenced (7)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Gilroy | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Chris Ryan, Lindsay Zoladz | Michael Clayton, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story | ▶ 1:13 |
| John Grisham | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Chris Ryan | Runaway Jury, A Time to Kill | ▶ 2:36 |
| Brian Koppelman | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | Runaway Jury, Michael Clayton | ▶ 48:41 |
| Dan Gilroy | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | Nightcrawler | ▶ 26:03 |
| Malcolm X | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | Malcolm X | ▶ 26:58 |
| Satoshi Kon | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Justin Charity | ▶ 1:01:46 | |
| Scott Turow | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 6:15 |