Playlist: Up in the Air

Seriously, how charming is George Clooney? I don't think we've had an actor (and a very good actor at that) with this much movie star charisma since Jack Nicholson in his prime. And the thing that separates Clooney is that he isn't using his personality as a crutch. It's not as if every role is simply different lines coming out of his smile. Here, he is able to make a small, personal story about relationships and loneliness and make it feel that much more important.

And it's not just him. This film racked up the acting accolades during last year's award season for good reason. I had heard all the buzz about Anna Kendrick's performance and was a bit surprised to see it hold up to the hype. Not only did she hold her own with her big time co-star, but she provided a lot of emotional depth to what could have easily been a one-joke character.There are a lot of good actors here: Vera Farmiga in the other female lead, Jason Bateman, J.K. Simmons, and for Vin, Danny McBride and an oddly brief cameo by Zach Galifianakis. 

This makes three in a row for director Jason Reitman who is doing his best to overcome a debilitating case of nepotism.