CRITICS’PICKS

How did “Michael Clayton” become the forgotten man of the award season? One of the very best studio films of last year, this smart and suspenseful legal thriller about desperate men searching for redemption in a ruthless world has not received the box office or award consideration it overwhelmingly deserves. Filmmaker Tony Gilroy has written an intensely dramatic script and gotten a top-notch cast, including George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson and Tilda Swinton, to pull you through it at breakneck speed. If you’ve seen more completely satisfying classic filmmaking this year, I’ll be surprised. Let’s get “Michael Clayton” the respect that it earned.