Pan and I watched two very good DVD movies last weekend that Id like to recommend to my fellow bloggers.

Against the advice of the children manning the counter at our local DVD store, I hired Michael Clayton starring George Clooney. Warned that other customers had found the movie boring, I chose to trust in the write ups in the Sunday Times Magazine that had given this drama the thumbs up and was definitely not disappointed.

Granted, I dont imagine that many viewers under the age of 20 would relate to its message of corporate greed and the lack of scruples that invariably comes with the pursuit of money and power at all costs, but we found that the plot with its moral ambiguities and tough questions particularly pertinent in this day and age. Clooney is charmingly suave in his role as a fixer within a large legal firm and the supporting cast, particularly English actor Tom Wilkinson and Tilda Swinton, make a significant contribution to a well acted and suspenseful film.

We also snatched Gone Baby Gone off the shelf as soon as it was available. Based on a novel by Denis Lehane and directed by Ben Affleck (his debut as a director), the action takes place in downtown Boston around the kidnapping of a 4-year old girl. Casey Affleck plays a PI with an intimate knowledge of the neighbourhood. He and his business partner/girlfriend (Michelle Monaghan) are hired by the family to investigate. Working closely with two police detectives, the further they dig into the sordid details around the case, the more complex it becomes. I am reluctant to give away much more as this is not a movie that can be summed up by the storyline alone but plays to the viewers own sense of right and wrong (Pan and I had a major debate about the ending). I have never rated Ben Affleck as much of an actor, but having seen what he can do behind the cameras - in his interpretation of the story and the grittily realistic background he brings to light perhaps theres more to him than I initially thought.

If you're keen to spend some time in front of the tube this weekend...