u/Open_Seeker

Just finished watching this masterpiece again. An absolute banger. Some notes I felt like reflecting on:

• Another amazing Tony Gilroy script. This time he directs as well, proving that time really is relative: a two hour runtime absolutely flies by. Perfect pacing.

• Tom Wilkinson is given one of his best role and soars. A master at the height of his powers, we are treated to a wonderfully deep and complex portrayal of a litigation lawyer whose growing crisis of conscience drives him relentlessly towards insanity - or perhaps sanity.

• George Clooney doesn't have to go far out of his wheelhouse to find his character, but nonetheless delivers a top 2 performance in his career here. Apparently Denzel was offered the part but passed. I think the script works better with a down on his luck Clooney; his restrained performance, along with Gilroy's editing and direction, succeeds in leaving us to infer much of what's going in Michael's head, rather than trying to beat us over the head with it.

• The photography, score, sound mixing all contribute to a tone-perfect film. Michael Clayton is bleak, and we feel it all the way through. Despite dealing with a mega-conglomerate corporation and a top NYC law firm, there is no sheen to any of it. None of it feels good. The feeling when we're around the law firm or its lawyers is one of sterile high status. It doesn't even feel good when we step into Marty Bach's gorgeous new york mansion - the endgame of the illustrious managing partner path in the world of big law.

• Speaking of Marty Bach, what a masterful performance by Syndey Pollack. He completely dissolves into the character. In the back of my mind, I'm not entirely sure Pollack didn't have a second life as a managing partner in a high powered law firm.

• The famous final credits scene was apparently supposed to have a Tom Wilkinson voiceover narration but was cut. Another great choice by Gilroy; the film ends with the same raw quality it provided in spades throughout.

• Nominated for 7 Oscars: Best Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress (Tilda Swinton won), Original Screenplay and Original Score. Unfortunately it was released in the same year as No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood. Arguably should have won Original Screenplay over Juno.

The first movie was this wonderful creation, a lively style and two magnetic protagonists who conjured something that felt authentic, real, it was something quite unique because you can't just write that script and film it, you have to have both actors find the naturalness within the story and dialogue.

Then we get Before Sunset...a clever plot device brings our lovers back together. And the ending we get is just picture perfect, Jesse missing his plane and deciding he wont let love go a second time.

Here is where we all get somewhat crushed by the finale, Before Midnight. He could have went any number of ways with it.... he obviously needed a conflict, it couldn't just be they lived happily ever after...but Linklater pulls on the most painful threads of a long relationship, exposing both leads' flaws, resentment and disappointment.

Where Sunrise and Sunset leave us both with a feeling of hope, of pure yearning for that ultimate ideal of a true and unique connection, Midnight crashes that ideal with thr swift hammerblow of reality. The magic isnt forever. but in that very last scene, we are reminded that it's up to us to recreate it at every stage, lest it go out for good.

Midnight was a hard watch if you've ever been in a long relationship or even one that went from a towering high to a crashing low. But it was the honest film to make, and I have enormous respect for how they chose to do it.

I know there have been a number of Erdos problems solved already but not all of them were seen as very important or notable, but this one is getting attention on Twitter.

An(other) inflection point in the spooling up of AI progress?

I got a bit bored with my first save, i think i did easy AIs, but when i watch other people, i wonder whether harder AI is even more fun? Seems like yeah its obviously harder to do what you want to do, theres others in the way, but spawning a million armies/boats with like 1 tiny island isnt super alluring... but perhaps still better than just building alone.