Academy Award-winner George Clooney stars as Ryan Bingham, a businessman on the verge of reaching five million frequent flyer miles when his company decides to cut back on travel. But his goal isn’t the only thing just out of reach: he now won’t be able to see a fellow frequent traveler (The Departed’s Vera Farmiga) who has caught his eye. Clooney reaches deeply into himself for this role, with thoroughly winning results. He is perfectly partnered by the sexy Farmiga. The pitch-perfect direction by Jason Reitman (Juno) perfectly balances comedy and drama. Up in the Air, based on a novel by Walter Kirn, is one of the year’s best films and so tapped into the zeitgeist that it’s positively scary. The recipient of several awards from critics groups, Up in the Air has received six Golden Globe nominations, the most for any film.