Seminar: Michael Clayton

Featured on many “Best Films of the 21st Century” lists, Tony Gilroy’s Michael Clayton (2009) tells the story of an ethically compromised legal “fixer” (George Clooney) who finds himself embroiled in high-level corporate espionage when his firm knowingly represents a corrupt chemical company. 

This seminar will examine the film as a prime example of what critic Max Reed calls, “halogencore,” or “stories of corporate intrigue and malfeasance, told from the point of view of characters on the ‘outside of the inside’.” 

About Mikal J. Gaines: 

Mikal J. Gaines, Ph.D is an Associate Professor of English at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. He teaches courses in Academic Writing and Research, Writing in the Humanities, Introduction to Film, and Speculative Fiction and Film. His work has appeared in ASAP/J, Discourse, The Projector, the Journal of Cinema and Media Studies, and Literature Interpretation Theory. His research areas include African American Literature, Film, and Popular Culture, Horror and Gothic Studies, and Critical Theory.