Reel News has spent much of the past 10 days at the BFI London Film Festival. It’s been a strange event. The films have been very good so far, but, given that so many first screened at Cannes five months ago and noting that many open within the next few weeks, the sense of exclusivity was diminished.

Still, it was nice to catch a glimpse of George Clooney swanning down a red carpet – he's as annoyingly handsome in the flesh – and, for the most part, a pleasure to sit through the three films in which he appeared: The Men Who Stare at Goats, a bizarre farce based on Jon Ronson's non-fiction book; Jason Reitman's Up in the Air, a beautifully equivocal comedy; and Fantastic Mr Fox, which ... well, read the review elsewhere on the website.

What else? Steven Soderbergh follows up the sober, austere Chewith The Informant!, a surprisingly effective blend of zany romp and twisty conspiracy thriller. Over the past few months Lone Scherfig's An Education, a treatment of Lynn Barber's memoir about being naughty in 1960s London, has been picking up buzz as an Oscar contender. It deserves the praise.

For me, however, the treat of the festival so far has been Michael Haneke's The White Ribbon. Mind you, it won the Palme d'Or in May, so that hardly counts as an insider's tip.

The good news for the Irish team is that Ken Wadrop's His & Hershas been shortlisted for best documentary. It's good enough to win.