WITH smoking spin-doctors and pregnant teens covered, director Jason Reitman tackles the job market in the award-nominated dramatic comedy Up In The Air.
Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) leads a baggage-free life flying across the USA to fire people from their jobs.
Revelling in the perks of frequent flying as he approaches the hallowed 10 million airmile mark, life is good.
But when his carefree life is threatened by the arrival of Natalie (Anna Kendrick) - a fresh-faced go-getter wanting to revolutionise the firing business using webcams, he finds himself showing her the ropes and discovering a closed-off life may not be as attractive as it sounds.
Sly and tight
Director and writer Jason Reitman returns to the same sly and tight comedy as his impressive debut Thank You For Smoking with stunning results in this well crafted drama.
From the outset Clooney brings the expected levels of charm/smarm, but it is only when he is teamed with the rising star Anna Kendrick he is given a chance to shine, doling out witty comebacks and scathing putdowns with strong comedic timing.
Damaged man
Carrying the film on his capable shoulders throughout, is this yet another film where Clooney is just being Clooney?
Yes and no.
The smoothness and confidence remain intact, but unlike the Danny Ocean-esque figure, Bingham is a damaged man
Finding his place amongst an estranged family and dealing with relationship revelations allows Clooney to subtley flex his acting chops resulting in a screen-grabbing performance worthy of the accolades.
Never preachy
Reitman’s subtle aesthetic always stems from the narrative rather than a penchant for dazzling, and it continues to work well here.
Bringing in the occasional voice over and punctuating the flow of the film with real life workers who were fired, it never becomes overtly preachy but still rings true in the current financial climate.
Although his previous film were surrounded by major issues, like Up In The Air they are not 'message' films.
A solid story-teller, Reitman focuses on the people and lets the actors and the script do the work before neatly packaging the material with carefully considered shots and a catchy folksy soundtrack.
While fans of Juno may mourn the lack of Diablo Cody's sizzlingly jarring dialogue, Up In The Air is all the better without it, and marks yet another solid offering from a director on the up.
8/10 - High flying.