GEORGE CLOONEY
George Clooney's public and private lives are as different as salt and pepper. But a pinch of both creates a spicy accompaniment for a hungry fan base. Kaleem Aftab talks to the star ahead of the release of his new movie, Michael Clayton
here are No sides to (ieorge ('loone)
that are as hil‘olar as his lanted sa|t~and—
pepper hair. .\|though it \xould he lair to sa} that \\hen he popped up in Venice to l‘romote .llic/itit'l (lax-Ion. l‘or \xhich the lormer Izlx’ star is heaxil} tipped to he in ()scar contention. his hair \\as more salt than pepper. The salt ol~ his puhlic persona is the heightened interest that is taken in the pri\ate lil‘e ol' the tamed hachelor. the pepper is his increasingl_\ e\ce|lent turns in politicall} slanted mo\ies that are set against ill—concei\ed \\ars and corporate monoliths. In Venice it seemed that he “as alter some e\tra gossip coltllllll inches as he chose the sand} heaches ol the l.ido to make puhlic that he has a ne\\ squee/e.
()n the 4(w-_\ear-o|d's arm \\ as 28-)ear-old Sarah Larson. the hacks and papara//i \sent into a li‘enl) to disco\er just \\ho this girl \\as \\ho had snared the moxie \\orld\ most eligihle hachelor. 'l‘he tirst inl‘ormation to surlace \\ as
10 THE LIST .
that the attracti\ e hrunette had once appeared on
a 'li\' shim. .\'l§("s stunt competition sho\\ I'm/r l-m-Iur: lm \i’em. in \xhich she partnered her
then—heau l)an Randolph in an episode that aired
in 2W5. it didn't take long lor l]e\\s to lilter
through that lor the last three wars she had heen uorking at Vegas hot spots and met (’loone) at the Urn/H's i/i/lll‘lt't'll premiere in June. this inl'ormation didn't come iron] the man himsell. \xho responded to a question ahout his neu girllriend h} asking: '\\'hen haxe l e\er talked ahout m} pri\ate lile‘."
(‘loone'\ has a \\a} ol' sa} ing ewrfihing \\ith a smile. He delilects questions h} l'lashing his \xhitc teeth that \\ ere the hrunt ol se\era| gags in the (’oen Brothers. III/u/t'm/t/c (rue/Ii. Yet there is the old adage ahout man_\ a true \\ol'd heing said in jest and responding to an innocuous questions ahout c\actl_\ \xho he thought his latest protagonist .\lichael ('la_\ton \xas. ('loone} responded: 'You mean in the lihn'.’ ()h I lhotlght tor a moment sou meant me \\ho I am. I‘m still tr_\ing to ligure that outf 'l‘here \sere smiles all round _\et it didn't hide the lact that ('loone} is an ()scar \\inner uho is hugged h_\ the lact that more interest is taken in his pri\ate me than his perl'ormances on screen. .-\t a press conl'erence at the lilm l'esti\al in Venice. and later in 'l‘oronto. questions ahout acting and his cral't \\ ere notahle h} their ahsence.
(‘loone_\ pla} s a jaded lormer criminal attorne} in thriller .llit'lnit'l (Ilium/1. .-\t a Ne“ York corporate la\\ lirm. (‘la.\ton \xorks as a li\el'. the man called on to clean tip emharrassing and major prohlems l‘or important clients. lle's \mrked at the lirm l'or l5 _\ears and hasn't made partner and ne\ er hill. and non heK hurnt out
and jaded. While he's out resolxing other peole prohlems. his o\\ll personal lile is a mess. llis hrother has lel't him \xith an \Nllllllll deht alter a l‘ailed husiness \enture and he doesn't see near|_\ enough ol his ten )c‘ar‘ old son. .-\t the lirm. tension is mounting as a huge settlement heing organised h) the lirm's chiel counsel Karen (‘roxxder t'l‘ilda Suintonl is heing threatened h_\ the hreakdoun ol the lead trial attorne} .'\rthur lidens l'l’om \\ ilkinson l.
('loolle} \tt}\ til. the Part: '\\'hilc Michael is great at so|\ ing other people‘s prohlcms. the lilm catches him at the ape\ ol' dissatislaelion \xith his career. He started out with amhitions ol hecoming a trial la\\_\et'. hut along the \sa} uhat hereth hecomes is a hag manf
The internal struggle ol (‘l:i}toii and the aesthetic ol the lilm proxided h} lll'st time director 'l'on} (iilro} tan acclaimed screcimriterl is \er_\ much a homage to the \sol'k in the l‘)7lls ol' Man .I l’akula. Sidne} |.umet and Sylne} l’ollack ta link gi\en l'urther suhstance h} his supporting role in .llit'liuv/ ('i’m/u/ii. ('loone} \xas e\cited h} the prospect ol making a mmie in this spirit. He stt}s2 "l‘he studios Used to make Hum/t1 um/ .lIutu/c and .M'Ihn/‘A and gill I/u' l’n'xn/cnl'x .llt'n. We \\ant to It") to Use the things \\e learned l'rom loreign lilms and lrom independent lilms in the Ulls. and tr} to inluse them hack into the studio s_\ stem uhich is how it Used to he. lt \sas a time oi grtrund-hreaking social progress. and lilmmakers u ere reall) into rellecting that. This mmie deals \sith social conscience in an entertaining nay
Making lilms with a conscience has taken up a signilicant proportion ol ('loone} 's recent «more. In addition to the anti-corporate ethos ol tin-11ml