Up in the Air *****

Ryan Bingham's life may sound empty, living out of a suitcase, spending so much time in airplanes and hotels that his apartment looks more barren than any motel, but he's not complaining. In fact he thrives on the routines, the frequent traveler perks, and the casual hookups that come with the territory. His job removes him from the messiness of everyday life even more: he's a professional downsizer, swooping in with folders of termination notices and severance outlines to deliver the bad news the employer would rather outsource.

Until one day his employer decides to upgrade to a more technologically advanced solution - remote firings done via web cam and the Internet. Bingham, played by a pitch-perfect George Clooney, sees his carefully-constructed world about to crumble, and convinces his boss to let him take the young hotshot who came up with the plan, recent college grad Natalie Keener, superbly played by Anna Kendrick, on the road to show her why life and the death of your job is more complicated than that.

Ryan Bingham and Natalie Keener both have a lot to learn. Bingham begins to open up his shell a bit with a fellow road warrior, a stunningly good Vera Farmiga, and Natalie gets some bad news delivered in a cold technology wrapper that ought to make her think. Things begin to change, but not in the easy landing kind of way you might expect. The story is grown up, post romantic, and faithful to present-day road warrior culture. It's an examination that will make you think, but won't give you the obvious answers.

Rated R. 109 minutes. Jason Reitman - Director / Writer (screenplay) /Producer, Sheldon Turner - Writer (screenplay) Walter Kirn - Writer (novel), Jeffrey Clifford, {roducer, DanDubiecki - Producer, Ivan Reitman - Producer, Eric Steelberg, - Cinematographer, Rolfe Kent - Composer, Steve Saklad - Production Designer, Dana E. Glauberman - Editor. Produced by Cold Spring Pictures. Distributed by Paramount Pictures.

Principle actors: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, Tamala Jones, and Chris Lowell.