Few movie fans will be "up in the air" about this one, its a truly great film

Rating: 9/10 (13 January 2010)

Ryan (George Clooney) is an ace at what he does. He works for a company, under boss Craig (Jason Bateman), which sends him all over the country to corporations who are downsizing. Its Ryan's job to give those being "axed" the bad news. As distasteful as this might seem, Ryan does it with care and consideration, giving the newly fired advice on how to overcome this temporary setback. But, what Ryan loves MOST about his job is that he gets to travel everywhere and is never in one place very long. Unmarried and disliking commitments and family ties, he is rarely at his tiny apartment in Omaha. One day, however, a sort of reckoning occurs. The new business hotshot at Ryan's firm, Natalie (Anna Kendrick) has convinced Craig that video conferencing is the best way to go. No more flying here and there and wasting money. They can do their "dirty work" from their headquarters in Omaha. Ryan is upset, to say the least. He makes some sharp observations about why it won't work and he insists that Craig let him take the biz whiz on some trips to get a clearer picture of the operations. Craig agrees. Meanwhile, Ryan has met a fellow frequent flyer businesswoman, Alex (Vera Farmiga) in a hotel lobby and they are starting to "arrange" their schedules to meet time and again. Is this the beginning of something? Not likely. As Ryan and Natalie travel to Wichita, Detroit and many other places, Natalie does learn what a difficult job it is to let someone go gracefully, even in person. She also flounders when HER perfect boyfriend calls it quits. Will the video-termination idea fall apart permanently? This is a great film, tackling many difficult issues with courage. For example, what is most important in life, our work or our family connections? Don't laugh, for our jobs sustain our families, making it difficult for everyone when positions are lost. Also, should we open our hearts, only to have them broken? As the players in this drama, the cast is truly great. Clooney is terrific as the flying "loner", who isn't happy with the changes to his present life. At critical times, his marvelous facial expressions say it all. Farmiga, Kendrick, and Bateman also do superb work, as do the lesser cast members. Costumes, sets, and cinematography are very fine. Especially noteworthy are the aerial views of cities just as Ryan's plane is landing. But, it is the script and rock-solid direction of Jason Reitman that take top honors. Here is a story with so much substance that it belies the feeling of "air". Therefore, if you never want to miss the "heavyweights" of American film, race over to the nearest cinema and buy a ticket for this one. It is a classic stand-out in the cinematic world.