Up in the air is a hybrid – part comedy, part tragedy, and a commentary on modern life.

Ryan (Clooney) is a corporate ‘terminator’ paid to fire staff by companies that don’t want to do it themselves. He loves his life of living out of a suitcase and his main ambition is to amass 10 million air miles.

Things change when a free-living woman comes into his life, his own company changes and his sister gets married all of which make him reflect on his own life.

A very enjoyable film that avoids glib answers and does not have an obvious ending.

The Fantastic Mr Fox by Wes Anderson is a old fashioned animation based on the story by Roald Dahl. Though personally I liked it I am not sure who it aimed at? Readers of Roald Dahl, fans of Wes Anderson and his usual troop of actors, including George Clooney, adults or children?

The story concerns the restless Mr Fox – George Clooney (Oceans’ Eleven anyone) who has to do one last job rustling food from the nasty farmers Boggis, Bunce and Bean which then causes big trouble for all his animal acquaintances.

Nice old-fashioned animation, wacky story, good characters – certainly different.