Up in the Air

Harking back to the hip ambivalence of Peter Biskind’s post-classical Hollywood, Up In The Air’s bittersweet delights immediately recall The Graduate and Taking Off. George Clooney is a pathologically single human resources freelancer whose sole ambition is to rack up 10 million frequent flyer miles.

Between motivational speeches and cross-country commutes, he hooks up with Vera Farmiga, a kindred spirit, for casual fun and frolics whenever his Blackberry allows. The smug pleasure he derives from fitting his life into a backpack is suddenly endangered when his boss (Jason Bateman) announces a plan to conduct layoffs over the internet. Worse, George is asked to train in his own potential replacement, an ambitious young apparatchik named Melanie (Anna Kendrick).

Despite initial hostilities, George takes a shine to the kid. His sister’s forthcoming nuptials and increasingly tender relations with Ms Farmiga serve to further undermine his self-imposed splendid isolation; might there be more to life than air miles?

The answer will surprise and amaze you; Up In The Air is a proper grown-up film bolstered by proper grown-up performances - there are no rom-com clichés here. Misses Farmiga and Kendrick steal the picture from under George’s nose but even tiny roles are enlivened by the likes of Danny McBride and The Hangover’s Zach Galifianakis.

Coming after Thank You for Smoking and Juno, director Jason Reitman is now officially a pony worth backing.