The Frame

I rated this Well Above Average upon watching it, so I’ll let it stand, but I’m tempted to knock it down to Above Average. I wanted to be blown away by this – the lone mainstream film in last year’s Oscar race? A thinking person’s corporate thriller? Sounds like one to get excited about. And it was good, don’t get me wrong. There’s a lot to like about it, starting with the trio of main actors, all of whom are outstanding. George Clooney is the eponymous corporate fixer, the guy who gets called in to keep scandal and litigation away from his clients. This time, Tom Wilkinson has gone off the deep end, raving about all the bad things the company he works for does. That’s all tied up with Tilda Swinton and some reports she’s concealing about the unethical things the corporation has done in the name of research. There’s a lot of moral underpinning, too, as Clayton must decide whether to do the right thing and uncover the corruption or take the payoff he desperately needs to support his family. It’s a good story, but unnecessarily convoluted by the introduction of Clayton’s brother’s subplot (which is needed for background, but not in the detail we get). It’s also definitely an actor’s film, which is fine – but I would’ve liked a bit more crackle from Gilroy as writer/director.
Well Above Average