A rather genteel movie

Rating: 9/10 (18 February 2010)

I definitely enjoy the Jason Reitman touch, though I have to say of the three movies that he's directed and I've seen, I prefer Thank You for Smoking, which was a dark comedy. Juno was comparatively too... light. This movie is kinda fluffy too, and I think that I'm disappointed that it's not more subversive.
At the onset, I thought I would love it, since it began with witty banter between two people who are essentially homeless because they are travelling constantly for work. Their flirtation composes of comparing frequent flyer and car rental clubs elite statuses. Hot. But I soon realized that the focus was on George Clooney's character soon being grounded and his life being ironically up in the air while he has to adjust to redeveloping social and familial relationships.
There's also social commentary to be found as Clooney works as a professional firer, so to speak. Big companies hire him to retrench their staff when they don't want to do their own dirty work. Hence, it's pretty relevant in the current economic climate. It also adds some spice to an otherwise genteel movie.
George Clooney and Vera Farmiga, as the two frequent flyers, give radiant yet understated performances. Anna Kendrick, the uptight young upstart, is fun to watch, especially when she has her little breakdown.
I don't know; I liked this movie well enough but it doesn't feel like a Best Picture to me. I think it's more likely to just net Reitman a screenplay win, as with Sofia Coppola and Lost in Translation.