Jason Reitman to Direct Heist Dramedy 'I Would Only Rob Banks for My Family'

After a couple of critically panned films in Labor Day and Men, Women & Children, Jason Reitman is looking to bounce back with something lighter. While he is set to exec-produce and direct the pilot episode of Casual, which just got picked up for series by Hulu, Reitman is also planning his next feature film. He's set to direct an adaptation of the Texas Monthly article, "I Would Only Rob Banks for My Family", and there's some impressive talent behind it.

Penned by Nick Hornby (High Fidelity, Wild), the story is based on the article written by Skip Hollandsworth, the guy who wrote the article that became the amazing Richard Linklater film, Bernie. Those are some solid credentials there, and it sounds like the kind of material Reitman needs right about now. It centers on an everyday Texas family who pull off a couple of bank heists together, only to get caught attempting a third.

So a new look at American family values, similar to what Reitman was able to do with Juno? Sounds pretty good. This should be Reitman's next film after wrapping up with Casual but that hasn't been nailed down just yet. [THR]

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Review: Jason Reitman's 'Men, Women & Children' starring Adam Sandler, Jennifer Garner, and Ansel Elgort

At one point do we admit that Jason Reitman peaked with Up in the Airand now he's basically finished? Okay, one could make a case for Young Adult based solely on Charlize Theron's performance, but it seems Reitman is more intent on delivering messages than telling stories. His latest film, the blandly-titled Men, Women & Children is like a relic from 1999 when fear of the Internet was at its peak and every episode of 60 Minutes had some new horror story to peddle. 

A desperate grab to seem relevant and profound, the film actually begins with a few from a satellite hovering deep in space, analyzing and collecting data about all of the people down on Earth below. Emma Thompson's super-serious narration leads us into the lives of the people below, who have all had their lives changed by the Internet and technology. Like the similarly-themed Disconnect from last year, a series of connected stories show us the absolute worst of what the social networking age has to offer, boiled down into Afterschool Special simplicity. Adam Sandler, taking a break from vacationing with his pals in terrible comedies, goes dramatic as Don, whose marriage to Rachel (Rosemarie DeWitt) has gone stale. We know he's sad because even his beard is tragic. He masturbates to porn so much the spyware has killed his computer, forcing him to use the one belonging to his teenaged son, Chris. Chris has watched so much Internet smut he can no longer get it up with real girls. Damn libido-killing Internet.

So what else is happening in this "Pale Blue Dot" of ours? Yes, the film quotes Carl Sagan in a lazy attempt at profundity. Body image issues crop up with a pair of high school cheerleaders: Hannah (Olivia Crocicchia), who has a modeling website of questionable legality run by her celebrity-seeking mother (Judy Greer). Hannah's pencil-thin friend Allison (Elena Kampouris) has basically quit eating because she frequents chat rooms with others obsessed with being thin. They tell her to sniff her dinner but eat celery, instead. The girl needs a visit to the Golden Corral buffet, STAT. But not nearly as badly as hyper-protective Patricia Beltmeyer (Jennifer Garner) needs to get herself a life. You think wireless wire-tapping is bad? Patricia tracks her daughter Brandy's (Kaitlyn Dever) every move, every keystroke, every phone conversation and text message, leaving the quiet and sensitive girl afraid to even have friends. When she makes one anyway in MMORPG-obsessed Tim (Ansel Elgort), it's the kind of freeing experience we know is doomed from the start.

This is not a happy movie, or even really a hopeful one. We get the message within the first 30 seconds: the proliferation of social networking and online communication has made us less capable of forming new relationships, of experiencing the real world around us. The rest of the film is a sledge hammer exercise, with Reitman and co-writer Erin Cressida Wilson adding nothing new to the discussion.

This is too talented of a cast for it to be a total buzzkill, though. Individual scenes and certain relationships work better than others, and perhaps this film would have been served by pairing down the number of stories it's trying to tell. Dever and Elgort, standouts from Short Term 12 and The Fault In Our Stars most recently, have genuine chemistry in the film's most complicated romance. His character Tim is struggling with abandonment issues and found a sense of camaraderie in online gaming that he couldn't find playing football. Brandy is as much a lifeline for him as he is for her, and their relationship feels more genuine than any of the film's many overdone dissections of the digital experience. When Don and Rachel's marital malaise leads to Internet dating sites, hook-ups with paid escorts, and her begging a creepy Dennis Haysbert to give her a good f**k, things have gotten so ludicrous it's impossible not to laugh.

Seriously, though, it does seem as if Reitman is sinking right before our eyes. The guy who gave us perfectly contemporary films Juno and Up in the Air is now trying too hard to be relevant. Men, Women & Children wants desperately to make an impact on your life, but chances are you wouldn't even "Like" it on Facebook.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

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New Trailer for Jason Reitman's 'Men, Women and Children'

In case you haven't figured it out, social networking isn't always so social. For all the ways the Internet has connected us to the world at large it has also disconnected us personally. This is nothing new, and Hollywood has already told that story umpteen times. So what makes Jason Reitman's Men, Women and Children different from the rest? The phenomenal cast he's put together with Adam Sandler, Ansel Elgort, Kaitlyn Dever, Emma Thompson, Jennifer Garner, Judy Greer, Rosemarie DeWitt, J.K. Simmons, and Dennis Haysbert,

The latest trailer introduces us to a number of characters whose lives have been affected, generally for the worse, by the Internet. This trailer seems to be dealing mostly with the search for love and companionship, which technology has made easier and complicated at the same time. While incredibly somber, this looks like a step up from Reitman's last film, Labor Day. Then again that one looked good in trailers, too, and Reitman has since written it off as a mistake. The reviews out of the festival circuit have been mixed, and their doesn't seem to be much buzz for a film opening in just a couple of weeks on October 1st.

Get More: Movie Trailers, Celebrity News

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First Trailer and Images from Jason Reitman's 'Men, Women, & Children'

What amounts to a slump for someone like Jason Reitman are the solid reviews and underwhelming performance by his dark comedy Young Adult, and the overall disastrous response to Labor Day. That last film in particular didn't truly feel like Reitman at the height of his powers, which is finding humor and truth in uncomfortable relationships. His first three films; Thank You for Smoking, Juno, and Up in the Air hit on that difficult tone perfectly. And now with his latest film Men, Women, & Children on the way it seems Reitman is doing something new by exploring the dark side of technology.

Gathering a large and varied ensemble that includes Adam Sandler in a rare dramatic role, Jennifer Garner, The Fault In Our Stars' Ansel Elgort, Short Term 12's Kaitlyn Dever, Emma Thompson, Rosemarie DeWitt, Judy Greer, J.K. Simmons, and Dennis Haysbert, the new trailer suggests an interconnected story about relationships ripped apart in the Internet Age. Is it possible to find a human connection in a world dominated by social networking? It's a pretty gloomy piece of footage and is totally free of Reitman's usual brand of humor, but with Eric Cressida Wilson (Secretary) co-writing the screenplay there's bound to be some offbeat laughs in there somewhere.

Men, Women, & Children will hit the Toronto International Film Festival before opening this October.

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Jason Reitman to Direct 'The Possibilities' from 'The Descendants' Author

In just a few days Jason Reitman's latest film, Labor Day, hits theaters and word on it so far has not been positive. Weirdly, there's a been a severe lack of buzz around Reitman's last couple of films despite the roaring start to his career, and perhaps in an effort to change that he's taking on an adaptation from an author who has had a great deal of big screen success.

THR reports Reitman has optioned the rights to The Possibilities, the upcoming novel from The Descendants author Kaui Hart Hemmings. Reitman will direct the story, set in a Colorado ski town and "follows a grieving mother struggling to overcome her son’s death. She’s visited by a strange girl with a secret that will change them both." The novel doesn't hit store shelves until May 13th gut already it sounds like material Reitman should be more than comfortable with.

Reitman is currently filming Men, Women & Children which stars Jennifer Garner, Adam Sandler, and Emma Thompson.

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Two New Trailers for Jason Reitman's 'Labor Day' Starring Josh Brolin and Kate Winslet

When we brought you the first trailer from Jason Reitman's upcoming romantic drama Labor Day I made sure to clarify that this was not the latest in a line of ensemble romantic comedies set around a holiday. From the first trailer we could devise that the film was about a man on the run who holds a family hostage over the Labor Day weekend. These next two clips reveal a film that much deeper than we thought. The poster above shows you a bit of what I'm talking about, Brolin's character is meant to look like he's holding Winslet the way a hostage taker would hold his hostage, but their body language display's something much different, his arm below her neck, her holding his arm lightly with both hands, this looks more like a pose from a set of engagement photos than a woman in fear for her life. The first clip, thanks to /Film, gives us some insight into who Winslet's character is by way of a voice over from her estranged husband (played by Clark Gregg) who explains that she is a woman in love with love. The second clip, an extended trailer, is where we really get the hint that not all is as it seems on the surface. Brolin's character seems to be wrongly accused man who couldn't hurt a fly.

It's quite surprising to me how intriguing this film has become, Reitman seems to have the magic touch much like his father Ivan. Based on what we know so far that magic touch was applied liberally to Labor Day.

Labor Day Hits Theaters January 31, 2014

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First Clip from Jason Reitman's 'Labor Day'

Don't let the title fool you, this isn't the latest film in the series of holiday based romantic comedies with interconnecting stories...not even a little. As Travis let you know in his first look article here, Labor Day, is an Oscar hopeful about a single mother and her son who let in a drifter over labor day weekend who ends up being an escaped convict. Feeling all warm and fuzzy yet?

As Travis also pointed out, this isn't a 'bring the wrong guy home' horror film either. More an exercise in who we are and what has happened to put us in the positions where we currently reside. As you can tell from the clip below Brolin doesn't seem overtly threatening and violent but the tension that he could be at any moment is certainly there. Honestly I can't wait for this movie. We like to think that we're an enlightened society but really there aren't that many truly deep, well written, oscar worthy, "Don't judge a book by it's cover", movies out there. Also, it doesn't hurt its Oscar chances that Winslet and Brolin seem to be perennially associated, if not nominated themselves, with movies that slay come February. Labor Day will hit theaters on Christmas Day.

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Jason Reitman Eyes 'Men, Women and Children'; Adam Sandler, Rosemarie DeWitt, Jennifer Garner and Cameron Diaz May Star

Jason Reitman's Labor Day only just debuted at Telluride and already it has some talking Oscars. As the crime drama makes its way into Toronto before opening this Christmas, Reitman is already looking forward to his next project, an adaptation of Chad Kultgen's novel Men, Women, and Children, and he may have another starry line-up to work with.

Deadline reports that a deal is coming together for Reitman to direct the adaptation, which centers on "a family with junior high school students and deals with the navigation of sexual awakenings in a digital age where the Internet has made pornography, blogs and social networking just a few clicks away." So basically Disconnect meets Don Jon? Big names are already attached with Adam Sandler and Rosemarie DeWitt circling roles, along with Jennifer Garner and Charlize Theron who worked with the director on Juno and Young Adult. No word on who wrote the script, or if Reitman will take a pass at it himself, but if everything is worked out production could begin this November.

More importantly, Reitman is putting together another of his famous readings, this one of the greatest movie of all-time, Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights. He's been tweeting the assembled talent for it, and it's mostly amazing. Dakota Fanning will take on the role of Roller Girl, Scott Thompson as The Colonel, Jason Sudeikis as Buck, Olivia Wilde as Amber Waves, and unfortunately Dane Cook as Reed Rothchild. Expect somebody awesome to be cast as Dirk Diggler, and they won't even have to show their junk to land the part. At least I don't think they will.

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1st Look at Jason Reitman's 'Labor Day' With Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin

After achieving a great deal of Academy Awards attention for Up in the Air and Juno, Jason Reitman's Young Adult was largely ignored, even as critics mostly praised it and star Charlize Theron. But he's coming right back with another Oscar hopeful with Labor Day, starring Kate Winslet, Josh Brolin, and based on the acclaimed novel by Joyce Maynard.

You know it's getting close to the awards season because we're starting to see new images from all of the hopefuls, and now we have the first look official look at Labor Day. Winslet stars as Adele, a depressed, divorced mother living with her lonely 13 year-old son, Henry. Set over the course of a Labor Day weekend, she's convinced by Henry to take in a drifter (Brolin), who turns out to be an escaped convict. But this isn't the set up for a hitchhiker murder movie, instead it's human drama with all of the tough emotional beats we've come to expect from Reitman. Don't be surprised if Paramount gives it a major push for the golden statue.

Co-starring JK Simmons, Clark Gregg, James Van Der Beek, Gattlin Griffith, and Tobey Maguire, Labor Day opens in limited release on December 25th before going wide January 31st. [EW]

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Sure Shots: Javier Bardem; Paul Rudd; Clark Gregg

* With Skyfall and The Counselor on the way, Javier Bardem is still finding time to fit in an adaptation of his brother's novel, Alacrán Enamorado(aka Scorpion in Love). Carlos Bardem will adapt his own book, with Santiago Zannou directing the film which is being described as a multicultural take on Romeo and Juliet. The story follows a neo-Nazi nicknamed "Scorpion"(Alex Gonzalez) who falls in love with a Latin American immigrant. Bardem will play a neo-Nazi idealogue. [Twitch]

* I think Lynn Shelton may be looking at one of the surprise hits of the summer when Your Sister's Sister opens later this year. She had been set to direct Laggies, yet another indie relationship dramedy with a script by Andrea Spiegel, but it was delayed and she filled that time by taking on Touchy Feely, which stars Ellen Page, Rosemarie DeWitt, and Scoot McNairy. Now it looks like Laggies is back in the picture, and she's even brought along Paul Rudd to star. The story follows a 28-year old woman in a state of arrested development, who responds to her boyfriend's marriage proposal by pretending to be on a retreat with a bunch of high school kids. No word on who will play the woman, but when we last wrote about this film I had hoped for Greta Gerwig. Fingers still crossed.  [NYT]

* One of the best things about all of Marvel's films, including The Avengers, has been the emergence of Clark Gregg as S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson. Always a great character actor, Gregg is now stepping out beyond the world of superheroes for his next film, although the talent involved could be considered superhuman. He'll join Labor Day, the next project from Jason Reitman(Young Adult), an adaptation of Joyce Maynard's novel about a boy and his divorced mother(Kate Winslet), who pick up a hitch-hiker(Josh Brolin) over Labor Day weekend. He turns out to be an escaped convict, who proceeds to impart some life lessons on them both. James Van Der Beek co-stars, with Gregg's role currently unknown. [THR]

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Young Adult, starring Charlize Theron and Patton Oswalt

This must be the year for unlikable movie heroines. Young Adult marks the return of director Jason Reitman with screenwriter Diablo Cody, their first film together(unless you count Jennifer's Body, which he produced) since Juno four years ago. The combination of Cody's ear for whip smart dialogue with Reitman's knack for smart, insightful directorial choices has produced gold in the past, but this is a departure for them in a sense. Young Adult is undoubtedly one of the most uncomfortable comedies anyone will ever experience. That's a good thing, by the way. But for Reitman and Cody, with expectations for them so high, the film feels a little bare, and they pull their punches just enough to cause disappointment.

While Cody has slipped into pointless genre before with Jennifer's Body, Reitman has mostly stayed lofty with Thank You for Smoking and his Oscar nominated Up in the Air. Young Adult is a comedy, first and foremost, and the actions of spoiled teen fiction writer, Mavis Gary(Theron) are designed to make you laugh between cringes. Mavis is a beautiful, successful woman, and the Twilight-esque franchise she writes for makes her a sort of celebrity, although not nearly as much of one as she thinks.  A perpetual drunk who exists on alcohol, random sex, and watching reality TV brats for inspiration, Mavis might as well be one of the legions who read her books.

Determined to be the center of the universe again, Mavis leaves the big city of Minneapolis to her eyeblink of a small town in Minnesota to reclaim old glories. There's just one problem. Mavis is a scathing snot. She's utterly self centered, cruel, and dismissive of everyone. She has complete tunnel vision on what she wants and nothing else matters, and what she wants right now is to hook up with her old love, Buddy(Patrick Wilson). There are just a couple of problems: Buddy's married, and he just became a father. Oops.  Not that it matters to Mavis, and her oh so obvious ploy isn't making her too popular.  To Mavis, everybody in town should still her as the "mean girl" prom queen she was. They should ignore the obvious disgust she has for them and small towns in general. They should worship at her feet, basically.

One person still digs her, though, and that's Matt Freehauf(Patton Oswalt), a former classmate Mavis totally ignored in high school, except when he became notable for being crippled by a bunch of thugs who thought he was gay. He becomes her Jiminy Cricket, the angel on her shoulder warning her against the destruction she's about to cause, not only to this apparently happy family but also to herself.

Mavis is such a vile human being inside and out that she makes Cameron Diaz's character in Bad Teacher look like Mary Poppins. There's nothing wrong with a film that features a terrible character like that. Nor is it a requirement to have that character learn some valuable lesson and remake themselves. In fact, Cody and Reitman deserve all the credit in the universe for not making this some cookie cutter story of redemption. The problem isn't with Mavis, but with the blank people who have to put up with her. "Minnesota nice" only stretches so far, but nobody treats Mavis in the way any rational person would. Clearly insane, with sociopathic tendencies, Mavis should either be drummed out of town or locked in a rubber room. Instead everybody just sort of watches while she unravels, knowing full well what the result will be. Maybe Cody is trying to say something about mid-western values in their treatment of her, but it could've been more clear. By having everyone respond so casually, they are in essence letting Mavis off the hook. This becomes a huge problem in the film's final moments.

The film isn't totally without perception, as it does have some things to say about our treatment of celebrity, both on a large and small scale. Mavis sees herself as a star, but she's mistaken in numerous ways. In her hometown she was just a big fish in a small pond, the one girl who and found success. But Mavis also finds out just how popular(or not) she really is when she confronts someone who knows the books intimately, but has no clue who she is. Theron's look of combined shock and disgust at this moment is priceless, and it's clear she's reveling in playing a broken character like this, where her outward beauty is only matched by the ugliness within.  When paired up with Oswalt, the pair make a great team. The bulk of the film's biggest laughs come with them together on screen, where she's free to fire as many politically incorrect jabs at him as possible.

There's something to be said about the talent of Diablo Cody and Jason Reitman that Young Adult is as good as it is. Imagine it in the wrong hands, and Young Adult would've turned into "Sweet Home Minnesota" or some other forgettable comedy. Young Adult may be a little disappointing, but one thing it isn't is a film worth dismissing.

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New red band clip from Young Adult

Where exactly would you play a red band TV spot, anyway? On Cinemax at like 2AM? Weird. Anyway, I'm only a few days away from checking out Young Adult, which has been sortof lurking beneath all the awards season hoopla, mainly because it's such a far cry from the rest of the contenders. That may be why I'm so hyped for it, after weeks of watching stodgy films making very clear and obvious grabs for Academy Awards nominations, Young Adult's refreshingly blunt attitude is a welcome change.

For Jason Reitman, this'll be his first film since he stormed the Oscars with Up in the Air back in 2009. It also marks his second pairing with Juno scribe, Diablo Cody, and in every clip we've seen so far her usual irreverent style seems fully at play.

Charlize Theron plays Mavis Gary, a writer of teen fiction novels, who goes back to her hometown in Minnesota to relive her past high school glories, but also to hook back up with her ex-boyfriend(Patrick Wilson). Unfortunately he's married with kids, not that Mavis seems to give a crap, seeming to take a special delight in turning the small town upside down. Elizabeth Reaser, Patton Oswalt, and J.K. Simmons co-star.

In this new red band spot, Mavis goes a little off the rails over some spilled punch. This is going to be fun. Check out that clip below...

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New poster for Young Adult, starring Charlize Theron

I love movies about horrible people. Good people are boring, and their motivations are simple. But awful folks? They're complicated, usually comically selfish, and are the most fun to watch get their comeuppance. If you thought Cameron Diaz's character in Bad Teacher needed was screwed up, she ain't got nothin' on Charlize Theron in Young Adult. Or at least that's what I'm hearing from those who've caught sneak previews of it. Lucky bastards.

The next film from Jason Reitman, and his second collaboration with writer Diablo Cody(Juno), Theron plays a self centered writer of teen fiction who returns to her Minnesota hometown to relive her glory days and steal back her old high school flame(Patrick Wilson). Problem is he's married. With kids. Not that she cares. 

The marketing campaign has been spot on thus far. The trailer rocked, and I loved the initial poster that looked like a Sweet Valley High novel. But this new one-sheet is even better, with the awesome tagline of "Everyone gets old. Not everyone grows up." I love it.  Young Adult will open in limited release on December 9th, and then nationally a week later.

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Trailer Time: Young Adult, starring Charlize Theron and Patrick Wilson

After flying under the radar for months, recent weeks have seen an upswing in buzz for the latest film from director Jason Reitman(Up in the Air, Thank You For Smoking). Young Adult sees him teaming up with his Juno writer, Diablo Cody, for a story that looks like it may be a bit meaner(but no less thoughtful) than expected.

Charlize Theron plays a writer of successful teen romance novels, who goes back to her hometown to live it up and relive old glories, mostly be stealing back her high school sweetheart(Patrick Wilson). One problem: He's a happily married man. Not that she seems to care. Patton Oswalt plays an old friend who tries to talk a little sense into her. Unsuccessfully it seems. Check out the new trailer below...




Anybody else get a Bad Teacher vibe from this? This looks really dark, and with Reitman's penchant for taking stories in unfamiliar directions, I'm curious to see just how far this goes. I don't expect any redeemable characters to emerge here, but we'll see when Young Adult hits theaters on December 9th.

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New poster for Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody's Young Adult

Of all the many high profile films coming out in the packed month of December, one has remained relatively under the radar, strange considering the wealth of talent involved. That would be Young Adult, the new comedy from the Juno pairing of director Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody. A brand new one-sheet has been dropped into our laps, and it's one of the most inspired we've seen all year, looking like some teen queen's diary of her high school misadventures.

One glimpse at the plot will explain the reasons for this unique design. Charlize Theron plays an author of teen literature(think Twilight or Sweet Valley High) who yearns for her high school glory days. She goes back to her hometown in Minnesota and tries to spark up a romance with her now married high school sweetheart(Patrick Wilson), but finds things aren't as cool as she remembers. Patton Oswalt plays an old classmate she strikes up a friendship with.

The marketing push for this one has been quiet, but expect it to amp up in the coming weeks. Look for Young Adult to hit theaters on December 9th.

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Up in the Air

In the same way Gordon Gekko epitomized the corporate greed of the 1980s, so does Ryan Bingham(George Clooney) signify today's era of corporate isolationism. Ryan is a professional downsizer. When big corporations need to fire a bunch of folks but don't have the sack to do it themselves, they call him. And he's good at it. Ryan knows just what to say to make losing one's job and often their dignity...well, somewhat palatable. Their future is laid out for them in the nice, neat little packet he gives them.

He is an isolationist. He lives out of airports and hotels. He's on the road 320 days a year. He carries his frequent flyer club cards like badges of honor, and flashes them like old war wounds with fantastic stories attatched. His life doesn't leave much time for family or relationships of any sort. Ryan has a system. His "backpack theory", that emphasizes cutting out all extraneous relationships. It's a system that works for him. The deepest relationships he has are with the greeters at the various airports he frequents. Their rote responses and welcomes are soothing like a warm blanket. He prefers that to the unpredictable, heavy conversations he has with his sisters, one of which is getting married and wonders if Ryan will even bother to show up.

Ryan's jet-setting way of life is threatened when he meets Alex(Vera Farmiga), a woman not unlike himself. The two instantly hit it off, and their life philosophies seem to gel. They manage to meet up between layovers and extended stays. Ryan is also introduced to Natalie Keener(Anna Kendrick), an upstart go-getter at his firm who plans to revolutionize the firing business. No more will people like Ryan be needed to travel to each site to perform the dirty deed. She plans to do it over the internet via teleconference. Ryan hates this. He performs a service, and handles each "customer" with grace. He knows this is a bad idea, and takes Natalie out on the road with him for some experience.

After only three films, director Jason Reitman(Juno, Thank You for Smoking) has mastered the art of making topical, perceptive comedies that don't beat you over the head. Here he's made a film that is funnier than Juno, and certainly more even-keeled. But laughs aren't exactly what it's striving for, although there are plenty to be had. It's a slice of life examination of a man who has basically been created by the economic climate we face today. Reitman took it upon himself to bring in real life victims of the unemployment crisis to speak about what it's like to get that dire news. Often times it has less to do with the job itself and more to do with the feelings of betrayal, or the loss of comraderie with one's co-workers.

George Clooney's career has been an interesting one to watch since he took off after leaving ER all those years ago(and I quit watching that show with him!). He's grown from being merely a suave, cool playboy to one of Hollywood's elder statesman and cinematic pioneers. Regardless of what one thinks of his acting, he's always made interesting choices. Here, I think he puts on the performance that will define his career. Never has he been in such command. He plays Bingham as a disarming but aloof charmer. A blank slate even to those closest to him. I was happy to see Vera Farmiga(The Deaprted, Running Scared) playing a role that didn't involve her child running away or getting killed. She's both gorgeous and evocative. Those who know me know that I've been wanting Anna Kendrick to break out from her Twilight shell for awhile, and I think she's finally done it. I expect much more from her in the future.

Up in the Air will surprise you. It doesn't follow the usual path you think is being laid out for you, and takes you somewhere altogether different and enjoyable for different reasons. That sounds remarkably like one of Ryan Bingham's motivational pitches.

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