Clooney plays Clayton, a fixer for a big law firm Kenner, Bach and Ledeen in Manhattan. He's a suave spinmaster for hire cleaning up salacious media stories about a mistress, or a bent politician, or tidying up an embarrassing traffic violation for an eminent figure.

Clayton isn't especially likeable, nor he does particularly like his employers. It's a case of needs must, having made a botch-up of his own business affairs. Into the plot steps Tilda Swinton as Karen Crowder, a counsel for a big company called U/North which have engaged K, B & L to clear up a law suit for them.

The spanner in the works is Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson) who as K, B & L's top litigator has unearthed something about U/North which is decidedly unsavoury. Taking over the case, Clayton must decide if he is going to ignore what Edens has exposed, or do the right thing and continue to look into it.

The film is a grower. You might go into it thinking what on earth is this, but the second half of the film gets a grip of you with a key plot twist and from then on maintaining a heightened level of suspense.

In a way this is an intellectual thriller that impressively doesn't rely on more familiar Hollywood action twists. It also features meaty roles from Clooney and Swinton.

It's a good film overall, although you're left with the feeling that writer-director Tony Gilroy could have made it better still.