‘Up in the Air’ a perfectly grounded character drama

“Up in the Air”

Starring: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick

Dir: Jason… “Up in the Air”

Starring: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick

Dir: Jason Reitman

Paramount Pictures

Grade: A

It is the rare film that can succinctly capture the entire anxiety of a nation in economic turmoil in less than two hours, while simultaneously providing audiences with one of the best displays of acting and directing to be seen in theaters this year.

Fortunately, “Up in the Air” is exactly that kind of film.

With Oscar buzz surrounding this gem of a film since its premiere at the Telluride Film Festival in September, Reitman’s directorial follow-up to critical darling “Juno” will surely garner a similar number of Oscar nominations. And thankfully, it will deserve each and every one.

George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a smarmy and solitary “corporate downsizing expert,” which essentially means businesses bring him in to do their dirty work, and for anyone who has taken a peek at unemployment rate statistics recently, it’s obvious that business is booming for Bingham.

A major part of his job is the near-constant traveling — almost exclusively by plane — hence the first interpretation of the film’s title. Bingham loves being up in the air, or at least anywhere but home, as the noncommittal lifestyle allows him to dodge the emotional pitfalls the majority of us deal with on a regular basis.

Bingham’s independent existence hits a snag, however, when his company hires fresh-out-of-Cornell Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick, “Camp”) to revamp the way downsizings are done — namely, she wants to take the travel aspect out of the equation, doing everything over the internet.

Bingham is obviously not happy with the prospect of being grounded, and he and Keener hit the road for one last series of in-person confrontations. Over the course of their trip, the two polar opposites teach each other about the lives they aren’t leading. Add into the equation Bingham’s on-the-road lover (Vera Farmiga), and the quaint little character drama ultimately takes a deeply rooted place in your heart.

Simply reading a description of the film’s plot does not do it justice. “Up in the Air” is more about the subtle idiosyncrasies each character has, the strikingly authentic dialogue and the genuine emotion that Reitman rouses within the audience. Of course, a film dealing with people losing their jobs might strike a very personal note in this tough economic climate, but the subject is handled with such precision and honesty that the film morphs into a microcosm of the times.

Clooney is well-suited for the role, even if it sometimes feels like he is playing the role of himself as opposed to Ryan Bingham, and Farmiga nails a role that requires her to be charming even at one of the film’s big twists. It is Kendrick, however, who deserves the most praise: Taking a role that any college senior or recent graduate can easily identify with (or hope to identify with), the actress has landed a performance that will make her a household name within a year or two.

The best part about “Up in the Air” is that Reitman gives audiences little resolution to the questions the film raises. Has Bingham changed as a result of the people he meets throughout the movie? I don’t think so, but it is evident that he certainly learned something.

But for the film to leave its themes floating around — much like one of the many planes Bingham loves so much — is the mark of true artistry. Reitman knows what he’s doing and, come March 7, the Academy will likely let him know it approves.