(Keys rattling)
(Door opens and closes)
(Man) 'Michael.
'Dear Michael.
'Of course it's you. Who else could they send?
'I know it's a long way and you're ready to go to work.
'All I'm saying is wait, just wait, just please hear me out.
'Because this is not an episode, relapse, **** up.
'I'm begging you, Michael, I'm begging you!
'Try and make believe this is not just madness,
'because this is not just madness.
'Two weeks ago, I came out of the building, OK?
'I'm running across 6th Avenue, there's a car waiting.
'I got 38 minutes to get to airport, and I'm dictating.
'There's this panicked associate sprinting beside me,
'scribbling, and suddenly she starts screaming.
'And I realise we are in the middle of the street,
'the light's changed and there's serious traffic speeding towards us.
'And I freeze. I can't move.
'I'm consumed with the overwhelming sensation
'that I'm covered with some sort of film.
'And it's in my hair, in my face. And it's-it's like a glaze, like a coating.
'At first I thought, "My God, I know what this is.
"'This is some sort of amniotic, embryonic fluid.
"'I'm drenched in afterbirth. I've breached the chrysalis. I've been reborn."
'But then the traffic, the stampede, the cars, this woman screaming,
'and I'm thinking, "No, reset. This is not rebirth.
"'This is some kind of giddy illusion of renewal
"'in the final moment before death."
'And then, I realise, "No, no, no, this is completely wrong,"
'because I looked back at the building
'and I had the most stunning moment of clarity.
'I-I-I realised, Michael, that I had emerged,
'not through the doors of Kenner, Bach & Ledeen,
'not through the portals of our vast and powerful law firm,
'but from the asshole of an organism
'whose sole function is to excrete the-the-the poison,
'the ammo, the defoliant,
'necessary for larger, more powerful organisms
'to destroy the miracle of humanity.
'And that I had been coated in this patina of shit for the best part of my life.
'And the stench and the stain of it would take the rest of my life to undo.
'Know what I did? I took a deep breath and set that notion aside. I tabled it.
'I said to myself, "As clear as this may be, as potent a feeling as this is,
"'as true a thing as I believe that I have witnessed today, it must wait.
"'It must stand the test of time."
'And, Michael, the time is now.'
(Indistinct chattering)
(Barry) I'm not sure what else I can tell you.
(Reporter) 'Tell me about U/North, your clients,
'and why you're settling a six-year-old case on the fly at midnight,
'cos I'm writing this story whether you like it or not.'
- What does that exactly mean? - 'Give me something I can print!'
We found 97.
I've got that cunt from "The Wall Street Journal" on my cell.
She will not go away.
- Marty Bach. How can I help you? - 'Hi, it's Bridget Klein.
'We're doing a story about a settlement in the U/North defoliant case.
'You wanna comment?'
That case is now, as it has been for the past six years,
pending and unresolved.
Till such time as our client has their day in court,
or the plaintiffs drop the suit, I'll have nothing of value to tell you.
(Bridget) 'You're closing the U/North case. You're settling.
'I know you're up there with 600 people jamming this thing through.'
I know your deadline was 20 minutes ago.
You're fishing for a story, or trying not to write a retraction.
In either case, best of luck.
Where the **** is Karen Crowder?
(Sighs)
(Breathes heavily)
(Door closing)
(Phone rings)
(Asian radio station playing)
I'll see the turn.
Check.
- Half the pot. 200. - (Dealer) 200 to go.
You don't remember me, huh? We played together a couple of times.
That lamp place on Bowery. That guy's showroom? All the lamps and shit?
- The Galaxy. - That's it.
You had a restaurant you were opening, right?
My old partner bid that job, the plumbing.
- You don't remember me? - I remember you.
I lost a lot of weight since then.
You bought some hair, too.
With your money.
So, what happened with the bar? You just had to be a rock star, huh?
Shit, man. I want to listen to Larry King, I go home and put the ****ing TV on.
That was a good location.
Yeah, that's what my partner kept telling me.
(Phone rings) (Man) Action's on you.
Good to see you again.
(Phone rings)
- Hello? - (Man) 'Michael.'
- Walter. - 'Michael, thank God, there you are.
'Look, I got a situation, a big problem.
'A client of mine just called. He hit a guy with his car.
- 'He thinks he hit him.' - Just now?
'Yeah, just now. Ten, 1 5 minutes ago. He's driving home.
- 'He's home now. He's there waiting.' - Where?
'Westchester. I'm here in Bermuda. He just got me up, I'm half asleep here.'
Is he drunk?
'No. It's the first thing I asked him. He's good, he's sober.'
Tell him to stay off the phone.
'But you on it, right? Can you get up there?
'This guy is a huge client, Michael. This is half my book, this guy.'
I'm walking to the car right now.
'Let me call him back and I'll get the address.
'Let me know you're on the way and I'll get back to you with the details.'
All right. I'll be in the car.
They changed the grade there. They widened the street.
I'm sure someone told them that was an improvement.
But now, when it rains and there is fog, and with this new angle...
And they've got these new, these, these...
these sodium lamps, it's blinding, that corner is just blinding.
They'll have to work that out.
It's not tonight. I'm saying this for years.
How many times have we talked about that corner? Dell?
Mr Greer, we don't have a lot of time here.
So, the circumstances, the road conditions hold no interest for you?
What interests me is finding a strong criminal attorney
that can be here in 1 5 minutes.
Well...that sounds ominous.
We've some good relationships here in Westchester.
So, what are you? What are you? You're not a lawyer?
- Not the kind you need. - What is that?
A trial lawyer who can see this all the way. That's not what I do.
OK. I think we're gonna have to pull Walter back in on this.
I wanna get Walter back on the phone and into the mix.
Because, I'll be frank with you, I don't like the way this is going.
We don't have time for him. Your options are gonna get smaller.
What options? I'm not hearing any!
I'm suggesting you go local. There are people here that I like for this.
Great. That's it? That's what you got for me? Hey, you believe this?
I've been a client at Kenner, Bach for 1 2 years!
Do you think I've paid that retainer so I get a place at the back of the line?
Mr Greer, you left the scene of an accident on a slow weeknight
six miles from the State Police barracks.
If there's a line, you're right up front.
I can get a lawyer any time. I don't need you for that.
We're not sitting here for 45 minutes waiting for a goddamn referral!
I don't know what Walter promised you, but I...
A miracle worker! That's Walter on the phone, 20 minutes ago.
Direct quote: "Hang tight. I'm sending you a miracle worker."
- He misspoke. - About what?
The fact you're the firm's fixer? Or that you're good?
- Elliot. - Shh!
The guy was running! In the street!
You take that, you add the fog, you add the lamps, you add the angle.
What is he doing running in the middle of the street at midnight?
You answer me that!
(Glass shatters)
What if someone had stolen the car?
Huh? Happens all the time.
Cops like hit-and-runs. They work them hard, they clear them fast.
Right now there's a BCI unit pulling paint chips off a guard rail.
Tomorrow they'll look for the owner of a custom-painted Jaguar XJ-1 2.
And the guy you hit?
If he got a look at the plates, it won't even take that long.
(Phone rings)
There's no play here.
There's no angle. There's no champagne room.
I'm not a miracle worker, I'm a janitor.
The math on this is simple.
The smaller the mess, the easier it is for me to clean up.
That's the...police, isn't it?
No.
They don't call.
Hello.
Jerry, it's Michael Clayton.
Yeah, look, I'm sorry to wake you up.
No. I'm in the neighbourhood. You got a pen?
(Horses bray)
(Boy) Mum, where's my cards?
Where's my cards?
- Is my other deck in here? - Did you eat?
Dad's down there waiting already.
- (Man) Cards are in our bathroom. - Yes, I had a waffle.
Since we're out of waffles, how's that possible?
It's a miracle.
Gloves?
Henry!
Come on.
Get in.
Got it?
No one's even sure where they are cos there's no borders or landmarks.
And the town is not even a town really.
It's this camp where all these people have gathered to hide.
Right.
All these deserters and guys that got cut off from their armies.
They're hiding in the woods and trying to stay alive.
This is where they all came.
There's Thieves, Gray Mages, Unbidden Warriors, Dark Avians,
Riverwynders and Sappers, like 1 5 different characters, OK?
- OK. - And nobody has any alliances.
You can't even say who you are cos you don't know,
maybe the person you're talking to is your mortal enemy in the wars.
So it's completely everybody for themselves.
- Sounds familiar. - It's really good. You should read it.
By the time I finish it, you'll be on to something else.
- How much you wanna bet? - How much you got?
- Got your bus pass? - It's in my locker.
You're not even gonna look at it, are you?
- The book? - Yes.
- Bring it on Saturday. - I did. I left it in your kitchen.
- It's got a red cover. - OK. Well, here we go.
Go! Teach these people something, would you?
- See you later, Dad. - Yeah, kiddo.
(Kids shouting)
Thanks.
(Man) Lot number 52, assorted mixing bowls, assorted sizes.
$30 to start. $30 I have now.
I got 40. And 50 now. I have $60 back there.
$60. 70? I got $70 here.
$70 I have now. $80 there.
$80, this gentleman here. $80 I have now.
$90. Give me 1 00. $1 00 I have now.
(Auctioneer continues)
He says you're still gonna be short.
- How short? - 60. Plus the points, 75,000.
- That's everything? - What'd you think it was gonna be?
I don't know. Less. 30, 20.
He took 1 ,500 on a refrigerator I paid four grand for.
Make a bid.
- Don't have the 75,000? - Just lying around, no.
We both know I should be talking to your brother.
- Forget that. - Michael, look.
If you wanna front this, that's up to you.
But Timmy's name stays in the book till we're clear.
If I know where he is, I don't have to keep asking.
He's upstate. His wife took him back. I don't know where he is.
- He's got to have something. - He's got the two kids with her.
He's got Jennifer, the coke-dealing waitress that he knocked up.
He's got four Michelin Radials that he stole from my sister's garage.
Make an offer.
I had a wife who was a drunk. A beautiful girl, a young girl.
But live like that? Even if they do a program... She did once, two years.
And then they slip. Forget it. It's like you're strapped to a bomb.
What's my timeframe here?
I don't know. I didn't think it'd be a problem.
I'll ask.
- Hey, Michael. - Morning, Carl.
(Michael) Look, Del, I don't know how hard you want me to press here.
How brave does he want to be?
(Del) 'I'm not sure. We got a hearing scheduled for end of the month.'
- Does she know that? - 'I don't know. It was in the paper.'
'Maybe she got someone to read it to her.
'She called his wife yesterday. This is a nightmare.'
- She'll want to hang onto the condo. - 'That's insane.'
What can I tell you? Don't piss off a motivated stripper.
'It's unbelievable.'
Find out his pain threshold and get back to me. Or tell him to call me directly.
- 'All right, let me get into it.' - All right. OK. Thanks.
- Hey, where are we with Marty? - We left word.
- Hold on. Go back. How old is the kid? - (Woman) 'He's not a kid. He's 22.'
- This is Miami? - 'No. Key Biscayne.'
- And they charged him. - 'Reckless endangerment. My client...
'I think what they want, they want a reality check on the attorney.'
- Yeah. - 'Wayne said you had connections.'
- Yeah, let me get a pen. - 'Thank you.'
If she calls the INS, she'll get nowhere.
- (Man) 'Even with the appointment?' - It's like a DMV over there.
Unless they get a call from a district supervisor, nobody moves.
- 'Your guy can do that?' - He's a former Commissioner.
- 'None of this comes back to me?' - No, I'm gonna be the one that's asking.
- 'Can you hang on a minute?' - Yeah, sure.
Are we merging? Marty Bach's in London.
They said he was in Atlanta, then Lara said he was in the building, so I called.
Now she tells me the truth. He's in London.
- (Phone rings) - So, are we merging?
Everybody's saying, all these Brits, this time it's for real.
Like I would know. I don't know.
But if we are, if they merged, it wouldn't affect us, right?
- (Phone rings) - Your phone's ringing.
(Michael) Evan?
Hey, OK, I'll call him and set up a meeting for next week.
I'll walk her in, make the introduction...
(Woman) 'At the moment, U/North currently has 70,000 employees
'in 62 countries around the world.
'Around the planet.
'Operating in 62 countries around the planet.'
At work in more than 60 countries around the globe.
We have...we have right now... we have...
At U/North right now, we've got 75,000 employees
in over 60 countries around the planet.
We're a successful and highly diversified company
so you can imagine the volume and variety of legal issues we deal with is...
Overwhelming. It's just enormous.
So you can imagine the volume of legal issues.
It's quite substantial.
And as General Counsel, what I do, what our in-house department does,
is to analyse the dimension of the problem or the opportunity
to determine the jurisdiction and to outsource our business
to those firms and talents that we think can help us the most.
(Interviewer) 'So with that pressure and workload,
'how do you keep a balance between work and life?'
- Balance? - (Laughter)
I think that's...that's something that you search for your whole life, isn't it?
It's a shifting balance, really. It's, you know, you try to...
When you really are enjoying what you do, who needs balance?
There's your balance.
When you're really enjoying what it is you do, there is your balance.
When Don asked me to take... Don Jeffries...Don Jeffries brought me...
Don Jeffries brought me in here 1 2 years ago,
trusted me, mentored me, welcomed me into the U/North family.
When he moved up to the boardroom, I never really dreamt
that I would have the opportunity to move into his position.
But is it challenging? Yes.
I think that it's possible that those first few months were a little shaky.
But then you realise you've been taught to be ready, and you take the helm.
Because if you're not comfortable with that level of responsibility,
you're in the wrong place.
It's your department, your capacity to make tough decisions in real time...
- (Don) We're in an interview. - They said it was urgent.
Jesus! Oh, for Christ's sake.
You're saying he did this in...?
- Oh, my God. - Barry.
Hang on.
Arthur Edens just stripped down naked in a deposition room in Milwaukee.
(Man) 'Michael, I took a deep breath and set that notion aside. I tabled it.
'I said to myself, "As clear as this may be, as potent a feeling as this is,
"'as true a thing as I believe that I have witnessed today, it must wait.
"'It must stand the test of time."
'And, Michael, the time is now.
'This moment, today, here, this room, this air,
'and this, especially this, Michael, that you're here.
'There's a reason. A reason it's you, Michael.
'Surely, you have some sense of that, how it pulls together, how it gathers.
'Nurse Michael, the secret hero, the keeper of the hidden sins.'
Tell me you can see that, Michael. But, yeah, yes!
The nudity, the parking lot, it was a mistake. It was wrong. It was lame.
It was obvious. And therapeutically, it was useless.
Because I swear I could stand here and tear off my ****ing skin,
and I could not get down to where this thing is living!
Six years, Michael. Six years I've absorbed this poison.
400 depositions, a hundred motions, five changes of venue,
85,000 documents in discovery.
Six years of scheming and stalling and screaming, and what have I got?
I've spent 1 2 percent of my life defending a deadly weed killer!
- We had an agreement, Arthur. - One night. One night, right?
I look up and see Marty in my office. He's got some champagne.
He tells me we hit 30,000 billable hours on U/North and he wants to celebrate.
An hour later, I find myself in a *****house in Chelsea
with two Lithuanian redheads taking turns sucking my ****.
I'm laying there and I'm trying not to come,
and I wanna make it last, so I start doing the math.
I think, "30,000 hours, what is that? That's 24 times 30.
"That's 720 hours in a month, 8,760 hours in a year..."
- Arthur! - No, wait!
Because it's years! It's lives!
The numbers are making me dizzy and now instead of trying not to come
I'm trying not to think, and I can't stop. I mean, is this me?
Am I this freak organism that's been sent here to sleep and eat
and defend this one horrific chain of carcinogenic molecules?
Is that my destiny? Is that my fate?
- You promised me. - Is that it, Michael?
Is that my grail? Two Lithuanian mouths on my ****?
Is that the answer to the multiple choice of me?
You wanna go off your medication, you call me first.
- That was our agreement! - Sue me!
(Policeman) We OK in there?
We're fine. We're fine.
They killed them, Michael. Those small farms, the family farms.
- Did you meet Anna? - No.
You gotta see her, talk to her. She's a miracle, Michael.
She's God's perfect little creature.
For $50mn in fees I've spent 1 2 percent of my life
destroying perfect Anna, her dead parents and her dying brother.
- When did you last take one? - I'm not losing this.
Everything's significant. The world's beautiful. I'm not trading that for this.
- If it's real, the pill won't kill it. - I've blood on my hands.
You are the senior litigating partner of one of the largest law firms in the world.
- You are a legend. - I'm an accomplice!
- You're a manic-depressive. - I am Shiva, the god of death.
Let's get out of Milwaukee, we'll talk about it.
'We came back from the hospital and everybody was crying,
'and we were in shock, but we still had to milk.'
- 'The cows won't wait, will they?' - 'No.'
'And when you went to the barn?'
'We found the note. My sister found it.'
- 'From your mother?' - 'Yes.'
(Man) 'Could you read it for us, please?
'Just read the third paragraph, just the highlighted section there.'
"'Don't blame Ned Hardy or any...
(Arthur) 'Anna...Anna...'
'It's all right, Anna, go on.'
- (Arthur) 'I'm...' - 'Excuse me!'
(Man) 'What's he doing? No! This is testimony.
'Excuse me, I have an objection!'
- (Arthur) 'You can be a witness.' - (Man) 'I am not a witness to this!'
(Arthur) 'Anna, I love you!'
'And I...I'm sitting here...'
- 'I'm listening to you and I swear...' - (Man) 'He's undressing!'
'...I love you more than anything in the world. This is my moment.
'This strange conference table moment.
'This is my offering!'
- (Man) 'I want this on the record!' - (Man#2) 'How do you turn it off?'
'My clothes are my offering. This is my shame.
'My credentials! I'm ashamed!
'And I love you and I swear to God...'
I guess that's it.
(Clears throat)
- When do we get Don? - She said to try back in half an hour.
And how about the flights? What's the story at O'Hare?
- Closed four minutes ago. - Shit!
There is a foot of snow in Detroit already.
Todd, could I get that coffee now?
Who is this guy they sent from New York? Clayton. I never heard of him.
Michael Raymond Clayton.
'Born September 9, 1 959, Saint Joseph's Hospital, Bronx, New York.
'Father is NYPD patrolman, Raymond Xavier Clayton.
'Mother, Alice Mary Clayton.
'Graduates Washingtonville Central High School, Orange County, NY, in 1 977.
'Graduates Saint John's University, 1 980. Fordham Law, '82.
"82 through '86, he's ADA with the Queens District Attorney's office.
'1 986, he's with the Joint Manhattan- Queens Organised Crime Task Force.'
And then in 1 990, he starts at Kenner, Bach & Ledeen.
So he's a partner?
No. He's listed as Special Counsel. Says he specialises in wills and trusts.
(Karen) 'He goes from criminal prosecution to wills and trusts?
'He's been there 1 7 years, he's not a partner?
'This is the guy they send? Who is this guy?'
(Knocking at door)
- Hi. - Close the door.
All right. So, nobody, none of you had any idea he was coming?
To Milwaukee? For a deposition?
We thought there was some settlement. There's been rumours.
OK. Look, it's very simple. Arthur has a chemical imbalance.
He's fallen behind on his medication.
He's back on the mend. He's gonna be fine.
Now, I wanna make this crystal clear. What happened here stays in this room.
This is not information that you wanna be out in front of.
Anybody has a problem with that, I need to know right now.
All right.
We're stuck here overnight. I'll take him home tomorrow if I can.
Who's in charge of the deposition schedule?
- I am. - Where do we stand?
It's on hold. We didn't know what to do.
Keep doing what you were planning.
The other side can call New York. I need his briefcase.
- Arthur's? I don't... I didn't see it. - He said it was in the room.
- It might be the stuff Jody grabbed. - Find it.
(Henry) So, all these people, they all start having these dreams, OK?
You know what a vision quest is? You know, for like Navajos and stuff?
(Arthur) 'Yeah. I think so. Like a...like a special dream.'
Except this is like a whole bunch of people having the same dream.
They're dreaming that they should go to this one place.
They don't know why.
They just have this feeling that they have to go there.
- 'That they've been summoned.' - That's the chapter.
Seriously, that's what it's called, "Summons to Conquest", that's the title.
Yeah, but do they know? Do they know they're all having the same dream?
No. That's what's so cool. They all think it's just them.
That maybe they're going crazy or something, so they don't wanna admit it.
Yeah, but they're not crazy, are they?
'No. It's real. It's really happening.'
Yeah, it is happening, isn't it?
It's something larger than themselves, and they're not ready to hear it.
Yeah. But later they will. If you're gonna read it, I won't spoil it.
(Door opens)
What are you doing? Who are you talking to?
(Henry) 'I called my dad. It's his friend.'
- 'Who?' - 'Mr Edens. You don't know him.'
- Hello? - 'Henry, it's after 1 1 :00.'
- (Henry) 'I gotta get off now.' - No. Wait, wait.
The book. I need the book. The title.
The book is "Realm and Conquest".
"'Realm and Conquest."'
It's Book One with the red cover.
- Henry, give me the phone. - I gotta go. Tell my dad I called. OK?
Yeah...yeah. Thank you, Henry. Thank you.
"Realm and Conquest"... Thank you.
(TV on in background)
- Karen? Hi, I'm Michael Clayton. - You're late.
I know. Sorry, it was more complicated than we thought.
Where is he? I've been here since 5:30.
- He's asleep. - Wake him up.
That's not gonna happen. We just got him sedated.
Once he gets back on his regular medication, it's just a matter of time.
- Have you seen the video? The tape? - I heard about it.
What happened after is worse.
This is in the parking lot, OK? People running for their cars.
He's there in his socks, nothing else.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I will not sit with this sickness any longer.
"I cannot aid this sickness any longer." What does this mean?
I'm not sure.
You've been with him. What's he saying?
- He wasn't really making much sense. - This is totally unacceptable.
This is a $3bn class action lawsuit. In the morning, I have to call my board.
I have to tell them that the architect of our defence has been arrested
for running naked in a snowstorm chasing the plaintiffs in a parking lot.
I understand.
What sickness is he talking about?
- I don't know. It could be anything. - Give me one.
- Frostbite. - You think this is funny?
Look, his wife was sick and she died last year.
His daughter doesn't talk to him. He's all alone. All he does is your case.
He skipped his pills, had a bad day. That's it.
And you're somehow the authority on this?
His last episode was eight years ago. I was there.
I helped bring him home, I watched him get better. That's it.
You didn't hire him for his low-key regularity.
You hired him because he's a killer, because he's brilliant and crazy enough
to grind away on this case for six years without a break.
- We pay for his time. - I thought you wanted an explanation.
In the morning, I'm calling Marty Bach. But then you know that.
Thank you, Michael.
Ah, he was mostly just quiet.
I heard him moving around, I gave him a pill 1 5 minutes ago.
- He took it? - A deal's a deal, right?
Super job, Elston.
Get to New York, you need tickets to the game or anything, let me know.
I'll do that for sure.
- Did you see her? - Who?
- Anna. - No.
No, I didn't see her. She probably went back to the farm.
Well, we need her.
Marty, even then, and the rest of them, they won't understand.
Well, if anybody can explain it to them, it's you, Arthur.
No, they're lost. They have what they want.
Let it go, man.
This what you wanted?
To be a janitor? Live like this? All this?
Do what you do?
It can't be.
It's...it's a burden, that's what I'm trying to tell you.
That's...that's how it feels.
Well, I know that... that we've been summoned.
Get some sleep.
(Phone rings)
- (Man) 'Hello.' - (Karen) Yes. Hi, I'm looking for Verne?
'You have a number?'
Don Jeffries gave me the number. He said I could call any time.
- 'No. The account number.' - The code?
I do. I have it right here. One moment.
Excuse me one moment.
It's right here. 1 2-BKR-6. 1 2-BKR-6.
Am I speaking with Verne?
- 'It's Mr Verne.' - Mr Verne. I'm sorry, it's so late.
Don said that I could...
I'm not exactly sure how this works.
- 'Do you have e-mail at your location?' - I do.
- 'Are you alone?' - I am.
'OK, I'm gonna upload you a little encryption package we like to use.
- 'It's pretty self-explanatory.' - OK.
'Give me a minute to get to my desk. OK? Hold on.'
OK. Thank you.
(Michael) 'What I was wondering is,'
I have an option on the lease for six more years,
I was wondering if there's any way that I could lay that off.
Is the lease worth anything?
What? 8900 a month. It's...
The fixtures are gone, but there's...
But there's the bar, there's a kitchen, there's a great space.
But there's a...
Yeah, I understand. No, I understand.
OK, yeah, I will.
All right. Thanks.
(Shower running)
Come on, Arthur!
Arthur!
Arthur, open the door.
(Knocks) Arthur, open the door!
Arthur, open the goddamn door!
Arthur!
Open the ****ing door!
Arthur!
Goddamn it, Arthur! Open the ****ing...
Arthur!
- Mr Verne, hey! - Hey, Danny.
(Danny) I was just pulling the other bags.
Well, you can put them back. There's been a change of plans, sorry.
- You ready? - Yep.
(Marty) Oh, for Christ's sake.
Don Jeffries signed this? That's really his signature?
Where's the original?
We had a warehouse fire five years ago. We lost a number of documents.
What the hell is this doing in Arthur's bag?
Well, I don't know, Marty.
That's something I was hoping you might be able to tell me.
(Barry) What are we looking for?
(Marty) If it says U/North, pull it aside. Anything that says U/North.
What a mess this is.
(Marty) I want all this, everything here, packed up and sent up to the house.
Any luck, Michael?
He booked a limo from Newark Airport at 3:00,
got out at West 4th Street, tipped the driver $1 00 and walked away.
- Try his apartment? - He moved.
- I know. - It's a loft. No doorman.
Nobody answered. I called, I got the machine.
- So he could be anywhere. - Arthur downtown is not a good idea.
- Where's his daughter? - I dunno. Spain, India.
Mars! She's crazier than he'll ever be.
Barry's taking over on U/North. We got a lot of grovelling to do.
- You didn't charm Karen Crowder. - I was punting.
You gotta saddle up and get things under control.
- Saddle up? - He needs to be under a doctor's care.
- Where? - Does that really matter?
Michael, U/North needs to know he's under control, in a facility.
They're shook up. They need to be reassured.
- It's not that easy. - (Barry) Why not?
Because the laws in New York are tough on involuntary commitment.
Did you see this tape?
I'm not arguing, I'm telling you how it is.
You know what? We got 600 lawyers in this place.
Find who knows the most about psychiatric commitment statutes.
I can tell you that right now. It's Arthur.
(Indistinct chatter)
(Man) 'I'm at the door, good to go.'
Yeah, roger that. Let's keep a radio check every five, OK?
Every five minutes, copy that.
(Phone rings)
'You've reached Arthur's machine.
'If you wish to leave a message, please do so after the tone.'
(Michael) 'Arthur, pick up the phone.
'Arthur, pick up the phone and talk to me.
'No? Not gonna do it, huh?'
What happened yesterday morning, forget it. It doesn't matter.
Someday you and I are gonna laugh about it. But you gotta call me back.
You gotta call me back soon, Arthur.
'I'll tell you what... because you said it yourself,
'part of this is definitely madness, and there's a chemical part to this.
'But if you're willing to start with that, I'm willing to meet you halfway'
and say that, yes, this situation sucks, this case sucks, U/North sucks.
We can start with that. You hear me? You're right about what we are.
'I'm saying that you're crazy and your behaviour is out of control.'
But I'm telling you, you're right. You called it. We're janitors, I get it.
But we came to this, Arthur. We made decisions.
'This didn't happen overnight.'
You can't stop and say, "That's it, game over. I'm into miracles."
'Arthur. Come on.'
Goddamn it, pick up the phone, because whatever else is important,
let me help you with this because I'm telling you straight up,
janitor to janitor, I don't see anybody else with a broom on the horizon.
It's me, buddy. I'm the... (Phone beeps)
(Machine) 'Mailbox is full. Your message cannot be recorded.'
(Phone rings)
- Hello? - (Arthur) 'Hello. Is Anna there?'
Hang on.
(Woman) 'Anna!
'Where is she? Anna!
'Anna!
'Anna, you've got a phone call!
'Where is she? Anna!'
(Baby cries)
- Hello? - Anna, hi. It's Arthur.
- 'Hey.' - Did you get some sleep?
- 'I guess.' - Did you think about what we said?
- Yeah. - 'You didn't tell anybody, did you?'
No. My sister's spying on me, but that's normal.
Yeah. Because I meant what I said.
'I know. I know. It's just...'
...there's like 450 people in this lawsuit.
Why are you choosing me?
I don't know. I'm crazy, right?
- 'That's for sure.' - I mean, does it really matter?
'Isn't it what we wait for? To meet someone?'
They're like a lens and suddenly you're looking through them
and everything changes and nothing can ever be the same again.
- Who are you talking to? - It's for me, OK? I get calls, too.
That guy?
Same guy. The same guy.
Sorry.
Oh, no. That's, that's, that's OK. My mother used to listen to my calls.
'She can't believe I can do anything on my own.'
- (Arthur) Well, that'll change. - 'I guess.'
(Arthur) 'That's something we can show her. That you can do something.
'That we could do that together if you want.
'I mean that I can help you do that.'
I can get you twelve by Monday.
- Twelve's weak. Twelve looks bad. - How do you figure that?
They look at 75 and you, and they wonder what the problem is.
You say twelve, that makes people nervous.
This was the day before yesterday. Give me some time.
- What's the car worth? - It's a lease. It's the firm's.
So? You go to the bank, you got the apartment, you refinance.
- I can't. I did that three months ago. - Are you back at the tables?
Yeah, like I need that kind of action, I don't have enough going on.
I hope you're kidding.
If he finds out you're playing cards with his money, there's no dialogue after that.
Do everyone a favour.
Get out the treasure map and start digging.
You got a week.
- Hi, Michael. - Hi, Cindy.
He's been on the phone all morning. What's new?
I'm trying to get him out of here in 1 5 minutes.
- Is he upstairs? - He's upstairs... What are you doing?
(Cindy) Soroyo, keep an eye on these kids, make sure they're downstairs.
(Sighs) Marty?
Know what he's doing? He's backing their case.
I'm going through his files here. He's building a case against U/North.
- They won't let him. - Let him? Who's gonna stop him?
Know what I just heard? He's calling these plaintiffs.
This woman from the deposition, he's calling these people.
He's got these discovery documents. It's a nightmare.
I've been trying him all morning. His machine's jammed up.
- Is that his briefcase? - Yeah. Why?
We've been looking for it, that's why.
It came up here with all the other stuff from his office.
You can't believe the crap he's got in here.
Listen, Marty...
...I'm in a bind here.
- I need a loan. I need 80 grand. - I thought you were done with all that.
- It's not the cards. It's the restaurant. - 80,000?
I'm sorry to jump you like this. I've been trying to meet you alone for two weeks.
- And I know about the merger. - Oh? Nothing's final on the merger.
That's why I'm asking you now. You're my meal ticket.
Soon it'll be me and Barry with a roomful of strangers who don't know what I do.
Everybody knows how valuable you are.
- Everybody who needs to know. - I'm 45 and I'm broke.
I've been riding shotgun for 1 2 years, I got no equity. I don't feel reassured.
Nobody told you to go into the bar business.
- I only opened it so I'd have a way out. - I had no idea you were so unhappy.
How many times did I ask you to put me back on a litigation team?
Anybody can go to court. What's so special?
- I was good at it. - So are a lot of people.
At this, what you do, you're great.
For Christ's sake, Michael, you got something everybody wants.
You have a niche. You made a place. You made a niche for yourself.
If it's nostalgia, "Oh, you should've seen me when I was a DA in Queens,"
let me give you a serious piece of advice: leave it there!
God forbid you're not as good as you remember, cos I've seen that happen.
But I didn't come here for advice, did I?
So I give you the loan or you don't help out with Arthur?
- I never said that! - No? Maybe you should have.
I don't know how you're gonna take care of this, but this is cancer.
If we don't get it reined in and cleaned up soon, everything's vulnerable.
- What are you telling me? - That I'm counting on you.
I'm telling you that by this time next week, Arthur will be under control
and everybody will have been reminded of your infinite value.
- Jesus, Marty! - Hey...
When did you get so ****ing delicate?
I'm late.
(Intercom buzzes)
Why don't you call Uncle Gene and get the cops to help you?
It's not that kind of a problem.
- (Henry) How long do we do this? - I don't know.
If he comes back to get his car, call that number and let me know.
- Thank you very much. I appreciate it. - OK. You're welcome.
If we're not going to the movie, why don't you say so?
- What? - I wanna go home.
Come on, Henry.
Hold up!
Stay in the car. Lock the doors.
Arthur! Arthur! Wait up!
Michael. Jeez, you scared me.
- Making a delivery? - No, no.
That'd be very funny. No, nothing like that.
Here, take one, please. It's still warm. It's the best bread I ever tasted.
So, welcome home.
Oh, I know, the hotel. Sorry. I was beginning to feel a little overwhelmed.
- You're feeling better now? - Yes, much better.
- Just not enough to call me back. - Well, I...
I was gathering my thoughts before I called you. That's what I was doing.
- And how's that going? - Yes, it's good, very good. I just...
I just need to make my thoughts a little bit more precise.
That's...that's my goal.
As good as this feels, you know where it goes.
No. You're wrong. What makes this feel good is that I don't know where it goes.
How do I talk to you, Arthur? So you hear me?
Like a child? Like a nut? Like everything's fine?
What's the secret? Because I need you to hear me.
- Well, I hear everything. - Then hear this.
You need help. Before this goes too far, you need help.
You got great cards. Keep your clothes on and you can do what you want.
You want out, you're out. You wanna bake bread, go with God.
There's only one wrong answer and you've got your arms wrapped around it.
- I said I was sorry. - The hotel was overwhelming?
- You'd better stop pissing on this case. - I don't know what you're talking about.
I'm covering for you, telling them everything's fine, everybody's cool.
I'm running this "price of genius" story to anybody who'll listen,
and you're calling this girl from Wisconsin and messing with documents.
- How can you know that? - They'll take everything from you.
Your partnership, your equity, your license.
- How do you know I called her? - Marty told me.
- How does he know? - I don't know. I don't give a shit!
You're tapping my phone. Then tell me how Marty knows!
Because you're chasing a girl through a parking lot with your **** hanging out.
She got off the phone with you and called her attorney.
- She wouldn't do that. - Really?
You think that your judgment is state of the art right now?
They're putting everything on the table. You need to think this through.
I'll help you think this through. I'll find somebody to help you think this through.
Don't do this. You're making it easy for them.
Michael, I have great affection for you.
You lead a very interesting life, but you're a bagman, not an attorney.
If you wanted to have me committed,
you should've kept me in Wisconsin where the arrest report, the videotape
and eyewitness accounts of my behaviour
would've had jurisdictional relevance. I have no criminal record in New York.
And the single determining criterion for involuntary incarceration is danger.
Is the defendant a danger to himself or others?
You think you got the horses for that?
Well, good luck and God bless. But I tell you this...
The last place you want to see me is in court.
- I'm not the enemy. - Then who are you?
(Man) 'We find the seed.
'We shape the soil.
'We speed the harvest.
'We feed the planet...'
(Tape rewinding)
(Video restarts)
(Man) 'We find the seed.
'We shape the soil.
'We speed the harvest.
'We feed the planet...'
(Tape rewinds)
- (Background music) - What the hell is he doing?
(Music blaring)
(Answer machine) 'You've reached the office voicemail of Arthur Edens.
'Please leave your message after the tone.'
Yes! Here we are, all together. Is everyone listening?
'This is the moment you've been waiting for.
'So let's have a big, paranoid, malignant round of applause
'for United Northfield Culcitate Internal Research Memorandum Number 229.
'June 1 9th, 1 991 .'
"Conclusion. The unanticipated market growth for Culcitate
"by small farms in colder climates
"demands immediate cost-benefit analysis."
'Would you guys like a little bit of legal advice?'
Never let a scientist use the words "unanticipated"
and "immediate" in the same sentence, OK? OK.
"'In-house field studies have indicated that small short-season farms
"'dependent on well water for human consumption
"'are at risk for toxic particulate concentrations at levels'
"significant enough to cause serious human tissue damage."
This is a long way of saying that you don't have to leave your house
to be killed by our product, we'll pipe it into your kitchen sink.
- "'Culcitate's market advantage...' - The phone.
"'...tasteless, colourless and does not precipitate,'
"has the potential to mask and intensify these potentially lethal exposures."
I love this.
Not only is this a great product, it is a superb cancer delivery system.
"Chemical modifications of the Culcitate product,
"'the addition of a detector molecule, such as an odorant or colorant,
"'would require a top-down redesign of the Culcitate manufacturing process.
"'These costs, while assumed to be significant, were not summarised here."'
Which, loosely translated, means,
"It'll cost a fortune to go back on this and I'm just an asshole in a lab,
"so could someone else please make the decision?"
"'Clearly, the release of these internal research documents
"'would compromise the marketing of Culcitate'
"and must be kept within the protective confines
"of United Northfield's trade secret language."
'You don't need me to tell you what that means. Good bye.'
- It seemed to warrant my coming to... - Yes.
You...you have to contain this.
- Contain? - Right.
Well, that's my question. What are the...?
What's the option that we're looking at? Along those lines.
You're talking about the paper, the data...?
Well, I'm wondering if there is some other option.
- I mean something I'm not thinking of? - We deal in absolutes.
OK. I understand that. I do.
The material, the papers... I'm not a lawyer, we try, we do what we can.
Well, the other way?
Is the other way.
- You should bring Don in on this. - This is nothing to do with Don.
He's busy. This is nothing to do with Don.
Do you think it's doable?
Yeah. We have some good ideas. You say move, we move.
If the ideas don't look good, we back off, reassess...
OK.
Is that, "OK, you understand," or "OK, proceed?"
(Clapping) Are you one? Are you two? Are you three?
Are you four? Are you five? Are you six?
Are you seven? Are you eight? Are you nine?
Come on. Come on, I said.
Hey, come on.
- (Woman) Dad, make a wish. - If I get what I wish for, it'll kill me.
- (Laughter) - (Man) You're a maniac. Unbelievable!
Give me a hand, Eddie.
I did not make this myself so no complaints...
Happy Birthday.
- You have time for cake? - Er...yeah, yeah. I'll take one to go.
- You going in? - I'm late already.
- (Michael) Shit. - You're not both running out?
I got a situation.
- You can't hang? - You're going in.
- I got a shift. - So do I.
Oh, come on. You haven't been up here in months.
If you go back now, Mickey, Henry's staying here.
Good. You can drive him home.
Just stay for an hour. The girls did all this stuff.
He'll be asleep by then.
Timmy's been calling me.
- He's afraid to talk to you. - He should be.
- It closed out bad, right? - Is that what he told you?
The kids are freaking out. His in-laws are freaking out.
Pammy can't stop crying long enough to start freaking out.
- She took him back. - So what? **** her and the kids?
No, **** Timmy. And nothing's closed, OK?
I sold everything and we're short. Don't talk to me about Pammy and kids.
I've got my hands full. If it was you, he'd be in traction.
Yeah, he's sick, all right?
- He's sick. It's a sickness. - There's a fresh perspective.
I've seen a lot of people falling off the wagon lately. It's going around.
Is that pointed at me?
When do I see you? How do I know what you're up to?
I haven't bet on a game in over a year.
I haven't been in a card room in ten months.
I gambled on the bar. I bet on Timmy, he wiped me out. That was my big play.
I put up my walk-away money and it's gone and I'm scrambling.
OK. OK. Cool down. I hear you.
I'd be pissed off, too.
(Sighs) Just hang for an hour.
- OK? - Yeah.
Ready? And lift.
Ready and go.
(Pills rattling)
Wipe.
You better hit it.
We're good.
(Taps running)
(Pills spilling)
(Match commentary on TV)
I found it. That's his number. Dr Mullien. See if you have any more luck.
If I get a chance.
It's Medicaid. They're running us in circles.
- I can pull the file... - Let him go. He's got a date.
With a maniac attorney.
- Take a night off, Mickey. - You look tired.
- I'm OK. See you soon. - Be good.
- All right. Bye. - Bye, Hen.
- Bye, Pop. - Bye.
(Unlocks car)
- Uncle Timmy, hey! - How you doing, Henry?
Henry, get in the car.
Good to see you, Hen.
- What do you want? - I've been sober eight days now.
Been back at the meetings. I wanted you to know.
In front of the kid?
Mickey, please. I know how bad I did, I swear.
I don't know how to make it right again. It's all I think about.
What do I do? I don't know what to do.
Get Stephanie her tyres back.
- Is he crying? - I don't know.
- Because of drugs, right? - That and everything else.
What?
Your Uncle Timmy,
and I mean this, on his best day, was never as tough as you.
I'm not talking about crying or the drugs or anything.
I'm talking about in his heart. You understand me?
All his charming bullshit, this Big Tim, Uncle, Boss bullshit...
I know you love him and I know why.
But when you see him like that, don't worry.
That's not how it will be for you, you won't be like these people
that go through life wondering why shit keeps falling out of the sky around them.
I know that. I know it. OK?
I see it every time I look at you. I see it right now.
I don't know where you got it from, but you got it.
OK?
(Phone rings)
Hold on.
Hello?
The neighbours came by. They're renovating the loft downstairs.
They had water flooding from his bathroom down to their place.
His front door, fire escape, he had everything locked up pretty good.
It took our guys ten minutes. They had to knock the thing down.
There's pills all over the place.
Just the scene alone is pretty definitive for suicide.
Then I spoke to some of your partners
who ran down these problems he'd been having lately, so...
- Is there a note? - No. They looked.
It could be an accident or he was gonna write a note and just messed up.
- Can I get in there? - His place? Not now. It's sealed.
Once the seal goes up, it's frozen. We're gonna try and reach his daughter.
I guess she's off in Europe, but she's got to come in.
Or the ME's got to come back with a toxicology report.
That's a couple of weeks at least that it's got to stay like that.
Sorry.
Sure.
OK.
I know your brother a little. My wife works the 1 90 out in Queens.
I'll tell him hello.
If something comes in, I'll get back to you.
- Yeah. I appreciate it. - Sorry for your loss.
(People chatting)
- Ah, Michael. - Jeff.
- This is tough. - Yeah... He in here?
Dumb son of a *****. What a thing.
- Hold on... - I didn't even know.
- I'm so sorry. - Yeah. All right.
I didn't even get a chance to talk to him. That crazy goddamn bastard.
What a waste. What the hell was he thinking?
- Marty? I got to set this up. - Go.
- You OK? - Yeah, I'm fine.
Come on, let's get you a drink.
I just keep replaying all this back. Like, did I push him too hard?
- Not a chance. - I couldn't get through to him...
You scared him to death? Come on. The man was a bull.
- Never happened. - Why does he fold, then? Why...?
Why did...? (Sighs)
It's got to be an accident. Arthur without a note?
He couldn't piss without leaving a memo. It was an accident.
I don't understand that either.
One minute he's gonna take on the world,
and 1 2 hours later he's sucking down pills. Why?
Why?
Because people are ****ing incomprehensible.
Why?
Thirty years I know Arthur.
Good years.
And what I feel right now, if I'm honest?
I can't even say, it's so awful.
You can say it.
We caught a lucky break.
We did, didn't we?
Marty? We need to get up to the office.
- They accepted? - In principle.
Don Jeffries wants us on the phone in half an hour.
I explained about Arthur, but at this point...
Wait. U/North is settling?
They see a window. They wanna try. It's their show. What are we gonna do?
You did what you could, Michael. We all did.
It's...it's what we got.
- (Barry) You need a ride? - No. Thanks, I'm fine.
(Phone rings)
Hello.
Hi. I'm looking for Anna Kysersun.
- 'Who is this?' - Michael Clayton.
I'm an attorney. I got your number from Arthur...
- 'You have got some nerve.' - Excuse me?
You get her out to New York City and then leave her at the airport?
'This is not a complicated person.
'She's never been farther from home than Milwaukee.'
- Now, wait... - 'No, you wait.'
She's coming home tomorrow and if you call again, I'm warning you...
- She's in New York right now? - 'This is a young girl, do you hear me?'
- She's in the city right now? - 'What kind of people are you?'
(Michael) 'All right, listen. You just stay on the phone one second.'
(Michael knocks at door) 'Anna?'
Anna?
My name's Michael Clayton. I'm a friend of Arthur's.
Your sister told me you were here.
Please open the door, Anna.
(Lock opens)
- What are you thinking? - I don't know.
I'll watch the door. You check his car. Let's get some details.
He didn't want to say exactly what it was.
Just that when I got here, he would pick me up
and show me that it was something that would win the whole case.
Even this morning, I mean, I thought...
"OK, if I get to the airport and the ticket's not there, then I'll know.
"You're stupid, and you can go home now."
But it was there and he paid like $800 for a first-class ticket.
And I just...
I got on the plane.
I believed him.
You think maybe he was... in some way disappointed?
Let's say that he knew that you told somebody else about all of this,
and in some crazy way he was disappointed by that?
- But I didn't. - You must have told somebody else.
No.
He made me promise.
You didn't tell anybody else about this? Not one other person?
No.
He really was crazy, wasn't he?
- You talking about this? - Let me see.
- You know what that is? - Yeah.
You said a favour. That's more than a favour.
Nobody's gonna know where it came from.
- Are you that jammed up? - What?
Who asked for this? It's the restaurant, right?
One of these guys you owe? "Get me a seal."
You really wanna know?
This just gets better and better.
What are we doing?
(Man) Freeze! Right there, asshole! Don't move!
It's all right, I'm a friend!
Get your hands up now! Now! What's in your hand?
- It's a book. - Drop it! Drop it, now! Drop it!
- (Woman) Turn around. Slowly. - All right. OK.
- Who else is here? - Nobody.
- I said, who else is here? - Nobody's here!
Check in there.
You move, I'll take your head off.
(Keys jangling)
Now I owe this scumbag and his wife, who's a piece of shit in my unit.
I owe them my balls for this. "Nobody will know it's me."
You know what happens if they don't bury this?
- It's bad, I know. - You put my pension in jeopardy.
- You made your point. - It's not a point!
- Who called 91 1 ? - What?
The building was empty. I was quiet. I wasn't there long.
- Does it make sense to you? - This never happened!
The cops think you're a lawyer and the lawyers think you're a cop.
You got everybody fooled, don't you? Everybody but you.
You know exactly what you are.
We tried calling you like six times. Your machine must be busted.
We gave it our best shot. We ran out of red covers.
We only had 2,000 in stock, so we did the other thousand in blue.
- Is everything all right? - It's fine, yeah.
You have a van? Cos I have 25 boxes back there and...
Do me a favour. Hang on to them.
- I'll pick everything up next week. - Seriously? Thanks, man.
(Indistinct chatter)
Hello?
Don! You go ahead. I'll catch up to you.
What?
(Verne) Do you know Michael Clayton?
- Yeah, why? - We have a situation.
(People talking frantically)
- Hey, did they find you? - Who?
Marty. I don't think they've gone in yet.
Marty.
There's too much going on for your phone to be off.
- I need a minute. - We're late.
We never got to finish last night.
Did you close the place? You look like hell.
- No, I left right after you left. - If you say so.
We've been here all night, made an announcement.
Jean! I need the thing, the envelope.
I wanted your input. I couldn't get you. I pulled the trigger.
I put Bob Nast and Kim, probably a mistake.
They're pulling together a memorial service.
I told them to call you if they need any help, OK?
No, no. The other one. The other one.
So we cut you a cheque this morning.
There's some strings attached. And Barry...
There's no way around this. Barry's gonna have to be involved.
- What if Arthur was on to something? - What do you mean? On to what?
U/North. What if he wasn't crazy? What if he was right?
- That we're on the wrong side? - Wrong side, wrong way, everything.
This is news? This case reeked from day one.
- I got to tell you how we pay the rent? - But would they do if he went public?
What would they do? Are you ****ing soft? They're doing it.
If we don't sort this settlement out, they'll withhold $9mn in fees.
Then they'll show Arthur's flash dance and sue us for legal malpractice.
But they'll win nothing because the merger with London will be dead
and we'll be selling off the goddamn furniture.
That's 80. We're calling it a bonus.
You got a three-year contract at your current numbers if this all works out.
You're doing this now?
Look, I agreed to this, OK? But there's rules now.
You're signing a confidentiality agreement.
It's gonna be bullet-proof and retroactive.
Marty's too nice to say it, but with all you know about the clients here,
it's a little weird when you come in and ask for 80 grand.
If I were to shake anybody down, it wouldn't be for 80 grand.
- Is this him or you? - If I'm wrong, I apologise.
- You're wrong. - So there you go.
Enough. OK? Everybody.
He's an asshole, but he knows it. And you're on the record. Everybody happy?
- (Jean) Don Jeffries is here. - We're on the way.
Call Bob Nast. Just see if they need help with this thing.
You're welcome.
You said 1 2. This is 75.
- Don't get too excited. Want a drink? - No. I'm working.
So we're square, then. No bad blood.
- Just doing your job. - That's right.
Take it easy, Gabe.
Michael.
(Asian radio station playing)
(Man) 'Check.'
(Michael) 'Check.'
- Check. - Half the pot. 200.
200 to go.
(Breathing heavily)
So what happened with the bar? You just had to be a rock star, huh?
(Phone rings)
What are you doing? You just got here.
Guy plays nine hands, walks away. Did I scare you away?
(Breathing nervously)
(Phone rings)
Get out.
(Verne) 'Get out of the car now.'
- Walter? - 'Michael.'
- Yeah. - 'Thank God you're there.'
You have eight...
'...six...five...'
...four...three... Get out of the car.
- Tell him to stay off the phone. - 'But you're on it?'
- Am I clean? - Just keep walking.
- You copy. Am I clean? - Keep moving. He's walking to the car.
(Walter) 'Just to let him know you're on the way. I'll get back to you.
- 'Just give me two minutes.' - All right. I'll be in the car.
(Partner) 'I didn't finish. It's in, but I don't know.'
It's loose. I got a pulse. He's up there somewhere, but...
Let's find a way to boost the signal.
(Michael) 'I don't know what Walter promised you.'
(Greer) A miracle worker! On the phone, 20 minutes ago. Direct quote.
- "I'm sending you a miracle worker." - He misspoke.
About the fact that you are the firm's fixer? Or that you're any good at it?
(Knocking) We're up. Just got a signal.
(Verne) There's nothing back this way. What's he doing?
- Maybe he's lost. - Wait a minute.
That's him.
- He was alone, right? - Yeah, I think so.
Call it, yes or no?
We got to turn around.
- Talk to me. - Now it's strobing.
No, we're good. Just keep going.
- He turned. Somehow he turned. - Where?
- He took a left. - I don't have a left.
- East. He's southeast. - So we missed it?
- Or the grid is wrong. - Hang on.
- We gotta go back to one. - Where's our one?
Half a mile straight ahead. Keep driving. Just go.
- We're closing, but that's west. - Is it the signal or the grid?
- Both. It keeps dropping out. - Damn it.
Give me the cell.
Our signal's good.
(Dialling)
(Explosion)
(Horses neigh)
What?
- Thanks, Mickey. - Just get me out of here.
I want a meeting scheduled on this, soon as we can. Thursday at the latest.
- Have someone from equity there... - Jeff?
- Yeah? - Did you hear?
- Yeah, they closed U/North. - No. Michael Clayton.
- What? - Car bomb. Upstate. This morning.
- He was killed. - What?
Holy shit.
(Sighs heavily)
(Karen) 'It has been and it remains the U/North position
'that this lawsuit is baseless and without merit.'
Our reluctance to negotiate was anchored by this belief
and reinforced by the plaintiffs' demand for settlement
in excess of $3bn.
The reason that we are all here today is
that several key elements in the case have changed.
'You all have a tentative proposal packet
'which outlines the details, but the bottom line is this...
'Over the past several months we had gotten word'
that the plaintiffs were growing impatient
and were in the process of revising their settlement numbers.
'We learned the plaintiffs' attorneys' fees were capped at 32 percent
'up to $400mn,'
above which, their fees dropped to 24 percent.
We knew there would be a motivational dead zone for them in the middle.
Finally, our finance team informed us that they had run the numbers
and that the tax benefit, provided we bring the settlement in under 600mn
and within this fiscal year,
that the write-off on this settlement would essentially pay for itself.
'The package that you have before you represents, in my judgment,
'the strongest possible position for our company under the circumstances.
'And, as Chief Counsel,'
it is my recommendation that this proposal be confirmed.
Thank you, Karen. If you just give us a few minutes to talk about it.
Certainly. I'll be right outside.
Well...
How did it go in there?
Pretty freaky, huh? Did you see Arthur? He's wandering round here somewhere.
I'm kidding. Lighten up.
You got one of these? It's a great memo. It's an oldie but a goodie.
- I got your heart racing. - What do you think you're doing?
- What do you think I'm doing? - The suit's over. We have a deal.
Whatever that is, it's meaningless at this point.
I thought you had a tentative proposal. I didn't realise you'd signed the cheques.
It's a drag. I got a thousand of these. What am I gonna do with them?
- I'm calling Marty. - Good. Do it. It's a great place to start.
Let's find out who told him Arthur was calling Anna. Who tapped those phones.
This memorandum, even if it's authentic, which I highly doubt...
- I know what you did to Arthur. - It's protected. It belongs to U/North.
- You killed him. - It's a case of attorney...
That's just not the way to go here, Karen.
For such a smart person, you really are lost.
This conversation's over.
I'm not the guy that you kill, I'm the guy that you buy.
Are you so ****ing blind you don't see what I am?
I'm the easiest part of your problem and you're gonna kill me?
Don't you know who I am? I'm a fixer. I'm a bagman.
I do everything from shoplifting housewives to bent congressmen
and you're gonna kill me?
What do you need, Karen? Lay it on me.
You want a carry permit? A heads-up on an insider trading subpoena?
I sold out Arthur for 80 grand and a three-year contract,
and you're gonna kill me?
- What do you want? - What do I want? I want more.
I want out. And with this, I want everything.
- Is there a number? - Ten is a number.
Ten? Ten what?
Ten million? Where do you think I'm gonna get $1 0mn?
You know what's great about this?
Did you read it till the end? Did you see who signed it?
Let's go ask Don Jeffries if he wants to pass the hat for a worthy cause.
This would have to be a longer conversation
and take place somewhere else.
Where? My car?
All right. I'm gonna make it easy.
Let's make it five and I'll forget about Arthur.
Five is easier. Yeah, five is something that we could talk about.
Good. And then the other five is to forget about the 468 people
that you knocked off with your weed killer.
- Let me finish up. I'll talk to Don... - Do I look like I'm negotiating?
(Don) Karen?
- One second. - Everything OK?
Yes.
$1 0mn. Bank of my choosing. Offshore. Immediately.
- Yes. - Say it!
$1 0mn, your account, the moment this meeting is through.
- Karen! Everyone's waiting. - I'm coming, Don.
- You have a deal. - You're so ****ed.
- What? - You're ****ed.
- What do you mean? - Take a wild guess.
- Is there a problem? - Let me get a picture.
- You don't want the money? - No. You'll need it.
- Is this fellow bothering you? - Am I bothering you?
Karen, I've got a board waiting in there. What's going on? Who are you?
I'm Shiva, the god of death.
(Don) Ron! Ronny, I need security out here immediately!
All right. Here we go. That guy right there, stop him. Grab that guy.
- What are you doing? - We're with the NYPD.
Come with us and we'll explain everything.
Check on her. See if she needs any medical attention.
(Officer) Nobody leaves. Cover every exit in the back.
(Don) Will you please explain to me what's going on here?
- Did you get all that? - Yeah. Got it.
- You OK? - Yeah. Just got to get some air.
Sure. Just...stay close, OK?
(Driver) So, what are we doing?
Give me $50 worth.
Just drive.