Well grounded

Up in the Air – Dir Jason Reitman, starring George Clooney, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman

Ryan Bingham is rather confident in his job – travelling around the country conducting employee layoffs for companies whose bosses are too cowardly to do it themselves. But as he nears his goal of 10 million frequent flyer miles, Ryan realises that living an anonymous life out of a suitcase isn’t as high flying as he once thought.

This is a smart blend of humour, emotion and yet more great acting from Clooney (who seems to be everywhere at the moment). It’s clear why each of the parts were written specifically for the actors; it comes across as a sharp, well-adapted book-to-film watch that will score well with a wide audience.