Up in the Air is legit.
I saw it a couple weeks back. Very well done. Jason Reitman knows what's up. In addition to the solid screenplay and arguably the performance of Clooney's career, Reitman sprinkles in a few creative filmmaking flourishes which I really enjoyed. I liked the story but what really impressed me were the production details; the rapid little travel montage sequences, the title cards, and the way the pacing adjusted to fit the current tone of the narrative.
I'll put it this way - of all the kids I went to Film school with, I own, by far, the fewest DVDs. (I have about 9 total; 5 were gifts and 4 are about basketball) When Up in the Air comes out on DVD, I'm going to buy it, watch it a couple more times and take notes. For real.
Even though I liked Thank You for Smoking and Juno, Reitman's style for Up in the Air is much more refined and deliberately transparent. His creative choices help tell the story and engage the viewer, without really calling attention to themselves.
Anyway, I'm not trying to get super Roger Ebert on you guys or anything. My point is: Please put down the 3-D glasses, get out of line for Avatar and go see Up in the Air. Who spends $300 mil on a film about blue CGI people with cat faces?
