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Clooney's Star Power Shines At Toronto Film Festival

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By LARRY RATLIFF San Antonio Express-News

Published: October 15, 2007

TORONTO - All eyes were on George Clooney as this era's most congenial movie star filed in for a Toronto Film Festival news conference to discuss 'Michael Clayton,' a compelling drama that opened last week.

Co-star Tilda Swinton was there, as were Tony Gilroy, an acclaimed screenwriter making his directorial debut, and a couple of producers. But this room clearly belonged to Clooney.

Looking sporty in a suit with a little gray speckling his hair these days, Clooney plays the title character, a law firm's in-house 'fixer.'
Michael Clayton is the unfortunate associate at Sydney Pollack's law firm who is called on when messes need to be cleaned up. His latest case involves Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson), the firm's top litigator.

He's gone through a very public meltdown and might be about to sabotage a huge settlement.

Facing the large group of generally friendly, sometimes overly complimentary inquisitors, Clooney's eyes dart around a little more than they do in small groups. No one can work a crowd like Clooney, though, fielding questions on everything from Darfur to Brad Pitt.

Have you gotten into any legal entanglements as a result of this film?

There are five or six lawyers named Michael Clayton that I've gotten letters from. They're not thrilled. So I'll be facing some sort of charges.

What scene in the movie touched you the most?

The love scene with Tilda. (He's kidding. There isn't one.) Listen, you love watching really good actors at their best. I loved watching Tilda in a bathroom stall sort of falling apart. There's something really beautiful watching characters who are seemingly in control really not in control and learning a lot about them. I loved watching Tom (Wilkinson) in the scene in the alley because he's so simple and so good. Those are the scenes that touched me.

Are there many scripts about Darfur in the wings, and do you get them all?

Yeah, we get most of them. The truth is, it's a very difficult thing. You can't be topical in films because it takes two years for the writers to write it and you to shoot it and get it out. Usually it's a little late by the time that it comes out. You usually find that preachy movies about anything are a bit too strident. You find ways to try and deflect and not go directly at it.

We live in a celebrity culture. Sometimes it's difficult to distinguish the actor from his or her characters. Does that influence the kind of roles you choose?

Movie stars don't really exist anymore since the advent of television.

But when you think of movie stars - Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, (Humphrey) Bogart - they basically played themselves in all of those movies. We knew them as that. There was one: (Laurence) Olivier could play a lot of characters. But we didn't take to him as much as we took to Spencer Tracy or Clark Gable or Cary Grant or Gregory Peck. In a way we're able to break out from that a little bit more. The unfortunate thing, I think, is that we demystify them. They know more about your life because there are so many outlets. In a way, you're sort of set free.

There's an awful lot of celebrities out there sucking up the celebrity air and not really doing anything. It creates a vacuum in a way.

Example?

Brad Pitt.

Is there a healthy competition between you and Brad?

I don't like him, I'll tell you that. He's very short. I don't know if you've seen him in person, but he's very tiny.

There will never be competition with my friends, ever. It's a weird thing, but you try not to compete in art because it always seems strange. I could never do the things he does. So, no competition at all.

I feel some competition with Matt Damon, though, because I'd like to kick his butt.

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