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AWARDS PROFILE: MICHAEL CLAYTON

George Clooney is once again in the Oscar spotlight for "Michael Clayton"

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By Myles Hughes

With less than two months left in the year, we are slowly reaching that exciting season where movie reviews are marked with statements like such-and-such is worth of an Academy Award nomination. With the release of Eastern Promises being considered the launch of the Fall’s Oscar season, reviews using the A-words have been springing up more and more frequently for new and festival releases alike including Atonement, No Country For Old Men, The Kite Runner, Into The Wild, There Will Be Blood, Juno, Gone Baby Gone and Michael Clayton. Sporting the strongest reviews of films currently in release, the time has come to ask: when put into perspective, what kind of impression on the Academy is this legal thriller poised to make?

Potentially, it could very well be the surprise hit at the ceremony. With a sturdy script, smooth direction, crisp cinematography and three powerhouse yet understated performances to its name, the film has all the ingredients for success. There’s just one thing holding back its prospects: competition. Between the above-mentioned festival features and all of November and December’s prestige pictures, Michael Clayton could very easily become lost in the shuffle. In order to get a Best Picture nomination, for example, it will have to rely not on its own quality but on the failure of a large number of other films.

Prospects in most categories are varied. First-time director Tony Gilroy does an excellent job at keeping the film exciting without resorting to parlor tricks or flashy editing and that, in a weak year, could easily warrant a nomination. However, he will more than likely be pushed aside by the bigger-name or overdue competition such as Ridley Scott, the Coen brothers, Joe Wright, Paul Thomas Anderson, Mike Nichols, etc. He has a much better chance at a nomination for his airtight Original Screenplay.

Performance-wise, George Clooney could possibly be facing a Best Actor nod for his subtle, sophisticated turn in the title role. Like the film, however, he is facing some steep competition and the majority of his rivals for a slot have already received their stellar reviews. A Golden Globe nod is a better prospect for him. Meanwhile, Tilda Swinton has a better shot at a Best Supporting Actress nomination, if only because that category is so weak this year. Not to belittle her performance, which brings enormous depth to a character that is otherwise somewhat underwritten. Her major handicap will be that she doesn’t have a whole lot of screen time. The best acting nomination prospect comes from Tom Wilkinson, who gives his best performance in years here. Unlike Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor is already getting rather stuffed with contenders, which will make his bid for a nomination a tight one. He needs a good handful of precursors to keep himself on the radar.

Other artistic and technical possibilities include nods for Cinematography, Original Score or Editing. The film’s major problem going into the awards season is that it’s great, but not spectacular, and it has to bank on fewer spectacular competitors to stand a chance in the majority of its categories.

POTENTIAL NOMINATIONS:

-Best Picture
-Best Director
-Best Actor – George Clooney
-Best Supporting Actor – Tom Wilkinson*
-Best Supporting Actress – Tilda Swinton*
-Best Original Screenplay*
-Best Original Score
-Best Cinematography
-Best Editing

*=Most Likely Nominations

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