Good script and good cast for a bittersweet "dramatic comedy"

Rating: 7/10 (30 January 2010)

There's comedy, but there's also much tragedy (the global job crisis being very actual and urgent), cynicism, some pettiness of everyday human life, false compassion. There's some necessity for a happy ending, which would be welcomed, obviously, but, without revealing the plot twist approaching the end, let's only that (some) women can be as repellent as only (some) men can be. One the whole, I liked this movie, being unexpectedly less predictable than it sounded, it gets to mix seriousness and fun with intelligence, above all thanks to a good script, never forgetting the tragic background it is rooted on. Good acting is delivered by the three main characters: Clooney has always that adorable but sometimes annoying (highly tolerable annoying, indeed!) face, but he delivers a really good performance, on the whole. Vera Farmiga, all refinement and enigma, plays her part in a perfect way. In the end, after one million of flight miles, the movie reminded me of a travel quote I once read on a plane while coming back home from a journey, it sounded more or less like this : "No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.", and I would add, until he rejoins those true dears who will listen to his travel account and will accompany him along the everyday journey of life.