Michael Clayton Blu-ray

Michael Clayton

 (2007)

Drama | Thriller



Michael Clayton is an in-house "fixer" at one of the largest corporate law firms in New York. A former criminal prosecutor, Clayton takes care of Kenner, Bach & Ledeen's dirtiest work at the behest of the firm's co-founder Marty Bach. Though burned out and hardly content with his job as a fixer, his divorce, a failed business venture and mounting debt have left Clayton inextricably tied to the firm. At U/North, meanwhile, the career of litigator Karen Crowder rests on the multi-million dollar settlement of a class action suit that Clayton's firm is leading to a seemingly successful conclusion. But when Kenner Bach's brilliant and guilt-ridden attorney Arthur Edens sabotages the U/North case, Clayton faces the biggest challenge of his career and his life.

For more details about Michael Clayton on Blu-ray, see the Michael Clayton Blu-ray Review

Starring: George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, Sydney Pollack, Michael O'Keefe
Director: Tony Gilroy

Michael Clayton Blu-ray, Video Quality

 


Warner Brother's track record of hit-or-miss transfers continues with their Blu-ray release of Michael Clayton. Presented in 1080p high definition and framed at 2.40:1, the transfer is dull at best and, well, dull at worst. From the outset of the film the softness that will be present for the entire runtime is evident. As the movie begins, several near static shots of the interior of an office building are shown with a surprisingly low level of detail, mostly undefined and hazy images that set the tone for the look and feel of the remainder of the film. This is one of the most unspectacular images I've seen yet from Warner Brothers or any other studio. There are a few nice scenes scattered throughout with decent detail and vibrancy, but even the best looking shots are still soft and somewhat dull. I noticed a couple of shots where nothing was really in sharp focus, so I’ve got to think this movie has been intentionally filmed to look somewhat bleak and unsavory, much like the characters that inhabit it. While black levels are consistently good, there is a bit of crushing as fine details are often lost in several scenes. Flesh tones proved to be one positive, looking natural and clear in appearance. You won't find very many rich, vibrant colors in Michael Clayton. The film takes on a rather dull, monotone look for much of its runtime, and definitely adds to the lack of brilliance of the image. Michael Clayton is probably one of the last discs you'd turn to in your collection to show off your system. The image is certainly sufficient, but to purchase this one solely for a pretty image to display on your high-dollar system would be a futile gesture.

Michael Clayton Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 


As with the video quality, Warner continues to yo-yo with their audio offerings, presenting Michael Clayton on Blu-ray with a paltry, lifeless, yet adequate Dolby Digital 5.1 audio presentation. The movie begins with dialogue and some typical-sounding drama genre music playing (music written by James Newton Howard and nominated for an Oscar), and it sounded fine if not unspectacular. Ambient effects were pretty disappointing. What was supposed to be, I assume, a very light breeze at the beginning of the film came across garbled, like a mushy, undefined glob of sound. A subsequent explosion lacked any punch and definition. Dialogue sounded a bit out of place, possibly just a minute fraction of a second off at times. Perhaps I’m just spoiled by lossless audio, or perhaps the sound design of this film is intentionally weak, but either way, I was very underwhelmed by the experience. Fortunately, the movie very rarely calls for anything more than the spoken word, and for the most part it’s acceptable. The vast majority of the soundtrack emanates from the center channel, giving just about every other speaker in your system the evening off (that poor center channel never gets a break, does it?). While Michael Clayton will most certainly not be up for any awards for its audio presentation on Blu-ray, it does allow for the viewer to keep up with the story without really noticing the soundtrack is even there. In that way it suffices, but expecting anything more than the most basic of listening experiences will result in major disappointment.

Michael Clayton Blu-ray, News and Updates

• Michael Clayton Announced for Blu-ray - December 27, 2007

Michael Clayton Blu-ray, Forum Discussions

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