There are many layers to the new film “Michael Clayton.” On the surface, the film has the appearance of a standard legal drama, but the deeper you get into “Clayton,” the more it becomes apparent that this is a masterful character study of how people react when pushed to the brink.

First-time director Tony Gilroy carefully steers his talented cast through a precise, fascinating film that is among the very best of 2007 so far.

George Clooney stars as the title character Michael Clayton, an in-house fixer at one of the largest corporate law firms in New York.

Clayton’s latest assignment centers around a friend and coworker named Arthur (Tom Wilkinson), who appears to be sabotaging the firm’s defense in a class-action suit against a large corporation named U/North.

The more Clayton learns about the case, the more he realizes that the whole situation could produce disastrous results for those involved.

The legal aspect of “Michael Clayton” is standard and fairly predictable, but it is clearly not intended to be the main idea of the film.

This is a story with several key characters who are greatly flawed and willing to do anything to restore their once lofty status.

Clayton’s character brings a lot of baggage to the screen. He’s burned out, but stuck in this dead-end job because of mounting debts and a failed business venture. It’s a nice contrast – a character responsible for cleaning up everyone else’s messes is just as flawed, if not more so, than the people he helps.

But Clayton isn’t the only character in the film with deep problems. Arthur is carrying the guilt of his work, while U/North legal representative Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton) is hiding some deep regrets and uncertainty under a stone-faced facade.

Fortunately, “Michael Clayton” has three outstanding performances to accentuate the film’s ideas. Clooney is at “Syriana” level here, showing why he is at times an underappreciated actor. Wilkinson’s performance seemed a little too loud at first, but as the film developed, I bought into his paranoia. Swinton may have the most thankless, yet astounding performance of all, actually putting a slightly sympathetic spin on a basically unlikable character.

There is also some nice work from Sydney Pollack as the head of the firm, but this is a movie that finds strength in its three leads. This is a complex piece of work disguised as a John Grisham movie – and that’s actually not a bad thing.

DVD dandy of the week

This week’s dandy is “Meet the Robinsons” (B), the latest from Walt Disney that features a nice story (even if it took seven screenwriters) and a compelling visual look that makes it a cut above other animated films in 2007.

The film tells the story of Lewis, a brilliant inventor and orphan who meets a mysterious stranger named Wilbur Robinson.

Lewis soon learns that Wilbur has come from the future to help prevent the bumbling villain known as the Bowler Hat Guy from stealing Lewis’ latest invention.

When the Bowler Hat Guy still gets away with the invention, the boys set out to chase him down in Wilbur’s time machine.

When done right, time-travel movies can be a lot of fun. Fortunately, “Robinsons” is up to the task, with a clever plot that will interest adults and please its young target audience as well (although expect some questions from inquisitive youngsters trying to piece together the final puzzle).

The cast isn’t a who’s who of A-list celebrities, but there’s still some nice work from actors like Angela Bassett, Harland Williams, Laurie Metcalf and Tom Selleck (who is also part of a clever gag in the film that most parents will appreciate).

The movie’s strength, however, is its visuals – from bubbles that transport citizens from place to place to singing frogs and a talking dinosaur, there is a lot on the plate and it all looks great.

“Robinsons” isn’t quite up to par with recent Disney films like “Cars” and “The Incredibles,” but it is still a quality film that the entire family can enjoy together.

“Meet the Robinsons” is rated G and will be available on DVD on Tuesday.

— Sportswriter/movie reviewer Micheal Compton (who, like “Michael Clayton,” is a complex piece of work) can be reached through advanced technology. E-mail mcompton@bgdailynews.com, and enjoy the show.