A Breath of fresh Air

Rating: 8/10 (23 January 2010)

In A Nutshell....
Ryan Bingham (Clooney), frequent flyer and corporate downsizer, has his life just how he likes it: no emotional ties, plenty of in-flight perks. That is, until he falls for the enigmatic Alex (Farmiga), and is saddled with work-partner Natalie (Kendrick)
Review:
Jason Reitman has done it again, first with the perky teen comedy with heart (Juno) now the likely Oscar Front Runner (Up In The Air). He is quickly establishing himself as a major player in Hollywood. Reitman, who recently won a Golden Globe for His Up In The Air Screenplay, is receiving awards left, right and centre, but what is all the fuss about ? And what makes the film Stand out above the rest.
Let me introduce Ryan Bingham (Clooney) a workaholic, corporate downsizer who enjoys the luxury of flying, and the perks along the way. To him an airport lounge is home, being comforted with the delights of a high ranking member's status, and the familiar joys that entail. Obsessively collecting the flyer miles as he travels from airport to airport (10 million is the goal). Bingham is content with his life out of a suitcase, little to his knowledge that everything is about to change. Clooney Shines as Bingham, Bringing soul and personality to the movie, he is the anchor and drives the film forward, in turn brings an emotional and Oscar worthy performance.
There are two female supporters in the film, the enigmatic Alex (Farmiga) and love interest of Ryan's. She describes herself as "just think of me as you with a vagina" constantly working, flying from place to place, looking for a bit of harmless fun(but nothing serious) along the way. The second is Natalie (Kendrick) The enthusiastic and harmless employee who threatens Bingham's way of life, trying to prove, that you can fire the poor folk over the internet, instead of face to face. Naturally Bingham refuses the idea, and stating that Natalie doesn't have the right experience, He is sent out with her to "show her the ropes" by the boss (Bateman).
Along the way, Ryan gives Natalie mentoring on how to fire people the right way, try not get to personal and encourage them about pursuing their real dreams, with the help of a trusty Pamphlet and a pat on the back. Bingham's constantly trying to prove that firing someone over the internet will not work, and requires a more sentimental approach. Occasionally meeting Alex along the way, something starts to change, as he finally starts to realise that he is lonely.
The films pace is masterful; it leads from one enjoyable scene to next, It's beautifully shot with quick editing and some quite funny narration by Clooney. It's full of enjoyable performances and it's emotional as hell. You rarely find yourself bored and it leaves you guessing until the end. The only criticism I have is that the film doesn't know what it wants to be, at times it's a romantic comedy and at others it's a serious drama full of heartbreak. It manages to win you back towards the end of the film, anyone who complains about the ending is truly misguided, it's one of the most satisfying I have seen in a long time.
Final thoughts: The film is a delight, with a strong plot and colourful characters; it is defiantly an Oscar favourite and should win for screenplay and actor for Clooney, whether it will snag the big two is yet to be seen. The scene transition is fast and smooth; you will rarely find yourself bored. It's an amazing film, that has a deep message engraved into it, how you perceive that message, is up to you.