Up in the Air is enjoyable to watch and has the veneer of being more trenchant and insightful than it really is-the perfect Hollywood movie. Up in the Air offers really powerful performances because mostly real people share their reactions to being fired/laid off interspersed with George Clooney and Vera Farmiga’s perfect performance as people enthusiastically skimming on the transitory cream of life. Clooney is one of the few actors in the US that can play a guy who wants no responsibilities or commitments, fires people for a living and has it all, but is still likable. I am not sure if Anna Kendrick is believable as someone who could impress a smarmy boss like Jason Bateman and convince him to change his entrenched business practices, but she works as the movie progresses. Up in the Air’s trajectory seems to be about his confrontation with potentially becoming obsolete, realizing that he needs to connect to people and transforming into someone more substantial, but like Clooney’s character, Up in the Air goes to a lot of places, is filled with emotional resonance, but ultimately has no destination.  Up in the Air isn’t required viewing, but is not a waste of time and actually is quite fun.