George Clooney is an Academy Award-winning actor and you really don’t need us to tell you that he’s one of the most talented stars working in Hollywood today (and has been for quite some time). He’s done it all…apart from starring in a Marvel movie! This week Sony Movie Channel are premiering his recent movie Money Monster and we’re looking back at one of the key reasons why it’s a must-see.
Over the years, he’s delivered a number of memorable performances (some for the right reasons and others, well, others were Batman & Robin) but he has a mostly stellar track record and singling out five of his best starring turns is no easy feat.
However, that’s exactly what we’re doing here as we delve into some of our favourite George Clooney movies and what he did to make them so special. Choosing just five was tough but we think you’ll agree that these stand out from the crowd!
Tune in to Sony Movie Channel on Friday 8th February 2019 at 9pm to witness the Free-To-Air premiere of Sony Pictures taut thriller, Money Monster. Sony Movie Channel is available on Freeview channel 32, Sky 321 and Virgin 425.
Money Monster
In the movie that inspired this post, Clooney takes on the role of a Wall Street Guru who doles out stock market tips on his show, “Money Monster.” Unfortunately, he doesn’t always get it right and that’s where Jack O’Connell’s disgruntled investor comes in.
He lost everything thanks to Clooney’s Lee Gates and storms the set to force the TV star to confess to being the “monster” he believes him to be…at gunpoint, on live television!
There are plenty of twists and turns and Clooney nails it by bringing Gates to life in a convincing manner, showing that behind his on-screen persona, there’s a real man. It’s thanks to that compelling work that you often find yourself caught in the middle of who to root for and this is an absolute must-see.
Ocean’s Eleven
This franchise may have gone steadily downhill as time passed but you can’t fault Clooney’s performance in any of them. However, he was at his best in the brilliant Ocean’s Eleven.
As you’re no doubt already well aware, the actor plays the charming and wise-cracking con artist Danny Ocean in Steven Soderbergh’s classic heist movie as he assembles a gang of crooks to help him rob five Las Vegas casinos in a single night!
Honestly, it’s hard to imagine anyone better suited than Clooney to take on this role and this is a movie that demands repeat viewings for his charismatic performance alone.
The Descendants
Alexander Payne’s movie is an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish as we follow Matt King (Clooney) as he comes to term with his life after it’s turned completely upside down.
Coming under pressure from family members on a number of fronts, Matt also has to cope with the growing divide between him and his daughters and the majority of the movie revolves around his attempts to repair that relationship…and to learn what his wife was up to before her accident.
One of Clooney’s most personal performances, he’s fantastic here and shows a lot of different sides as a struggling family man.
Hail, Caesar!
Clooney has collaborated with filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen on a number of occasions over the years but Hail, Caesar marked one of his most enjoyable performances with them to date.
In the movie, he plays an A-List actor called Baird Whitlock who is kidnapped by a group of communists who have been rejected by Hollywood and are trying to recruit him to their cause. Unfortunately, he’s even dimmer than they realised and plenty of hilarity ensues as a result.
It was a treat to watch Clooney play such a different type of character and you have to believe he was having fun at his own expense at times here too.
Michael Clayton
Clooney’s titular character is a fixer brought in to clean up the mess caused by one of his law firm’s top litigators suffering a nervous breakdown after the pressures of representing a corrupt chemical corporation take their toll on him.
Clayton then finds himself torn between his desire to do the right thing and a need to pay off a long list of debtors. The gripping Tony Gilroy legal thriller features one of the actor’s best performances as he plays a man stuck in the middle of a very difficult situation.
The actor does an incredible job of portraying the pressure Clayton is coming under and following his journey proves to be an exciting and oftentimes stressful experience.
What’s your favourite George Clooney performance? Let us know in the comments section and be sure to tune into Money Monster this Friday.
