I'm really into this kind of modern society-story and this means a lot of foggy structure that is made out of laywers, corruption, manupulation an so on. So give me some names and of course small, unknown productions a very welcome.
THX Lundegaard
I don't know if this is what you're looking for, but here are a few:
Thank You For Smoking
Nothing But The Truth
Fight Club
Syriana (With George Clooney)
The Air I Breathe
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I'd say The Insider with Al Pacino and Russell Crowe.
shareI want to second this suggestion: "The Insider" is the movie I most think about when I watch "Michael Clayton".
Rick (http://www.rickumali.com/) Umali
Before you see any of those other movies watch "The Network" I would go so far as to say Michael Clayton is a direct rip off of that movie..
shareFunny I was going to write Network as well... there are a ton of similarities... and almost the same pacing and directing style... a homage from one perspective, rip-off from another lol... someone was studying sidney lumet's masterpiece that's for sure ;-)
shareTraffic especially the television series
shareYou got to be kidding me, "Fight Club?" Are you smoking black tar heroin or something? Those two are NOTHING alike. One is about how EVERYTHING about corporations is bad on a macro scale and the other is about how unethical certain parts of certain companies can be.
The most obvious examples are: "Sweet Smell of Success" with Burt Lancaster and "Insider" with Russell Crowe and Pacino.
Hey Network is a classic...a true masterpiece of contemporary morality gone wrong. The 70's were a great time for pictures like that. Some other films that come to mind...
The Verdict with Paul Newman
And Justice For All with Al Pacino
Working Girl (serio-comic)
Bad Influence (James Spader)
Shattered Glass (Peter Saarsgard and the guy from Star Wars)
The Informant! (probably still in theaters)
Dog Day Afternoon
Suspect (with Cher...more courtroom thriller)
The TV Set (just okay)
Hopefully along the lines of what you're looking for. "Shattered Glass" was particularly good.
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I can't think of one, but this movie is soooooooo much better than the others people are mentioning, which also promised this type of intellectual thriller, but fell far short. This movie is surprisingly good.
shareI think The Insider with Crowe and Pacino is probably the closest you will get to Michael Clayton.
shareIt wasn't mentioned and it's not quite as "modern" I suppose but you might liken this to "The Player". "Thank You For Smoking" and "The Insider" are probably your two other best bets, although one is decidedly more comedic and satirical and the other is a bit more media focused.