Clooney, Grounded

There are two stand-outs in Jason Reitman's new film "Up In The Air". One is George Clooney, the other is the script. Let's take the easy one first.
George Clooney proves once again that a leading man in the old fashioned Hollywood sense of the term is a rare commodity. He is so good at it that I'm beginning to think that Hinduism may have something with this reincarnation thing. Ya see, Cary Grant lives in Clooney. The comic sensibility, the crooked smile, the sex appeal, all right out of Grant's playbook. In "Up in the Air", Clooney plays a corporate downsizer, a man who does the dirty work of firing employees that companies don't have the cojones to fire themselves. And he's good at it. He sells hope in the face of desperation. He also prides himself on the complete lack of a personal life beyond airports and hotel rooms. No ties, lots of frequent flier miles. Then, a young trainee becomes the harbinger of his own personal downsizing and Clooney must face the consequences of a life devoid of commitment. He has no fallback position from his personal philosophy and he plays the crisis with incredible on-screen aplomb. He deserves an Oscar nomination.
Now for the script. Seldom are we treated to this kind of tight, intelligent screen writing. Not a wasted scene. Not a wasted line of dialogue. What a rare pleasure. And all played without a false moment by an outstanding cast, guided by Jason Reitman. "Up In The Air" is one of the best of the year.