Up in the Air

Director Jason Reitman follows up his wonderful Juno with something even better. George Clooney is terrific as Ryan Bingham, a man so afraid of commitment he teaches seminars on how to remain unattached. This is just his side job; his main gig is flying all over the country and firing people for corporations that don’t have the guts to do their own dirty work. When an up-and-comer (Anna Kendrick) comes up with a “fire via computer” system, Ryan might just get grounded, but he has to take the newbie on a trip to show her the ropes. Kendrick is excellent as somebody who isn’t as tough and callous as she likes to think she is. Vera Farmiga is also good as a woman Ryan meets on the road who makes him question his system of values. As for Clooney, he has become modern cinema’s master of natural, effortless humor. This could very well wind up being the movie he is most remembered for 100 years from now.