Review: Up in the Air

This movie was a heartbreak for me. I've read many-many rave reviews a few very negative ones, but I have to join the rave camp, but I'm quite a sucker for small movies (Sideways, Little Miss Sunshine). This movie was indeed the best one I've seen this year along with The Hurt Locker.
It's about Ryan Bingham (Clooney), a lonely man who is hired to fire some people instead of their coward bosses. He's constantly travelling and he does not seem to have a so-called normal life and he does not even intend to get one. He becomes the instructor of a pushy and a bit hyperactive dynamite girl (Anna Kendrick) and he gets romanitcally(?) involved with a woman (Vera Farmig), who is "Ryan with a vagina".
Jason Reitman has already made some feel-good dramedies such as Juno and Thank You for Smoking and well that's all. You can either love or loathe these films, but they were certainly NOT masterpieces. But now Jason Reitman seemed to have improved a LOT, this movie is much more mature and subtle, and it has probably the best screenplay out of them, which is most certainly deserves to win the Oscar and probably that's the most certain award for this movie. So I think Jason Reitman has a great chance of becoming an Oscar winner, even though he won't win Best Director.
George Clooney as Ryan Bingham is terrific and this is one of his most personal performances. He gives a really subtle, but very effective and emotional performance, that reminded me of Jack Nicholson's terrific turn in About Schmidt. So I think all these critics' awards were deserved but I cannot decide about the Oscars yet. It certainly would not be undeserved.
The supporting ladies are both very good, especially Vera Farmiga who is memorable in her not too big part as the female Ryan. Her performance is full of humor and I certainly loved it. Anna Kendrick, well, she is in my opinion a bit overrated, because I felt that sometimes she was a bit over-the-top. I don't think that they should or will win over the terrific Mo'Nique (who's a bit overrated but still brilliant).
I think that a nomination would be deserved for Best Original Song for the one that's during the wedding scene.
So overall, terrific and heartbreaking. It would be hard for me to choose between this and The Hurt Locker. The experience is too fresh so I have to wait and rewatch both of them.
My Grade: 9.8/10
Possible Nominations: Best Picture; Best Director; Best Actor (Clooney); Best Supporting Actress (Kendrick, Farmiga); Best Adapted Screenplay; Best Original Song