‘Michael Clayton’

Geroge Clooney does Erin Brokovich but leaves the push-up bras at home. The Oscar-winning actor plays the title character in this legal thriller about a “fixer” for a corporate law firm who has his moral code challenged when he uncovers some under-the-table dealings going on at the highest levels of his company. Tilda Swinton, Sydney Pollack and Tom Wilkinson round out the cast. 2 hrs. Watch the trailer.
 

‘We Own the Night'

Joaquin Phoenix plays the wayward son of a family of police officers. While his dad (Robert Duvall) and brother (Mark Wahlberg) carry a shield, he's running a nightclub that's owned by Russian mobsters. But when they take out a hit on his brother, it leads him back to the fam. You can see every plot turn coming, but the performances hold your attention. 1 hr. 58 mins. Watch the trailer.

‘ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE'

Cate Blanchett revisits the royal role that made her a star. Bearing little resemblance to actual history, “The Golden Age” finds Queen Elizabeth at the center of an elaborate web that involves the Spanish Armada, her murderous sister Mary Queen of Scots (Samantha Morton) and the dashing explorer Sir Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen). 1 hr. 54 mins. Watch the trailer.

Ethan Alter | McClatchy