Up in the Air

George Clooney uses his matinée-idol image to maximum effect in this often superb adult comedy. He plays sophisticated "downsizing executive" Ryan Bingham, a smooth-talking hired gun who fires people for a living. Bingham spends his life in aircraft cabins and hotels, racking up air miles and loyalty cards, while growing ever more detached from his dysfunctional but loving family. This rarefied lifestyle comes under threat when new colleague Natalie (Anna Kendrick) dreams up a business plan that will literally ground him, so he takes her along on his next tour of duty to persuade her of the advantages of face-to-face contact. He also hopes to hook up with his on/off lover, the flighty and equally rootless Alex (Vera Farmiga). Wonderfully sharp and flirty banter ensues, and though the film strains credibility in its final stretches, Up in the Air stays clear of genre clichés, offering a satisfying hybrid of 1950s glamour, 70s realism and 21st-century attitude.