Occasionally poignant, sometimes conceited, but always entertaining.

Rating: 7/10 (15 January 2010)

After his critically acclaimed, but commercially underrated, debut feature film Thank You For Smoking, Jason "son of Ivan" Reitman proved he was one of those uncanny directors who could make those type of indie movies that seep into the mainstream. Then there was Juno. Reitman's sophomore effort won all sorts of awards, especially for Diablo Cody's unique screenplay. But it was Reitman's handling of the dialogue on screen that really makes it work and turned what would have been a cult favourite into a widespread, modern-day classic. Third time round and Reitman has his first bona fide Hollywood star – and budget – to work with. But with great resources comes great expectations.
Already tipped as an Oscar frontrunner by the critical world, Air is actually Reitman's least successful film. That's not to say it isn't very good and doesn't show glimmers of brilliance, but unlike his previous works it just feels a touch overdone with the self-knowing hipness and metaphorical messages. Where Smoking's biting satire and Juno's razor-sharp dialogue felt natural, Air's quirkiness has an – wait for it – air of arrogance. This may be misleading though as Reitman's slightly subpar output – compared to his own work – is still an enjoyable journey that most filmmakers could only dream of creating. He obviously has a confidence when dealing with multi-layered characters and plots as he handles them with ease; Ryan, Natalie and Alex all go through a massive arc that is realistic and intriguing whilst the underlying stories of family, love and job-loss are always present, even if only in the background.
Whilst I would be extremely hard pressed to put Reitman or his film as the one to beat at the Oscars this year, Clooney is a different case altogether. The notorious ladies man gives himself over completely to Ryan Bingham, a middle-aged bachelor who seems entirely comfortable and content with his isolated, travelling lifestyle in the clouds, but is possibly a different man underneath the facade. He should be loathsome and unrecognisable, however Clooney's inspired performance ensures Bingham is neither; in fact he is quite the opposite. Without seeing the other touted Oscar contenders it is hard to say, but Clooney gets my early vote for Best Actor. In the peripheral is the tremendously talented Farmiga, who has etched out a respectable CV for herself over the last few years, and Twilight¬ sideliner Kendrick who proves she is worth more than just teenage guff.
Occasionally poignant, sometimes conceited, but always entertaining thanks to a career-best turn from Clooney.
3.5 out of 5 (1 - Rubbish, 2 - Ordinary, 3 - Good, 4 - Excellent, 5 - Classic)