Up in the Air

Up in the Air is a refreshing (and intelligent) mainstream comedy, well-paced and directed by Jason Reitman (Thank You For Smoking, Juno), who is turning into a winning director. George Clooney plays a man who is hired by companies to lay off their employees. He travels all over the country—-much to his delight, as he enjoys collecting frequent flyer miles, and has no interest in setting down. His dream of reaching the elite 10 million mile mark from American Airlines (he would be only the 7th passenger in history) is put in jeopardy when young Natalie (Julie Kendrick) proposes firing people over a video conference system. Meanwhile, develops a steamy affair with a businesswoman (played wonderfully by Vera Farmiga) who also has a busy flying schedule and is not interested in commitment. We come to care about these characters and their interplay, so when the resolution to their story arrives it is both jarring and real and true. Very well done. (8.5/10)