For an actor as compelling as George Clooney, he’s the kind of matinee idol who has been asked only on the rarest of occasions to stretch his abilities behind his chiseled-hunk personality type. My two favorite performances of his – in Michael Clayton and Up in the Air – were both Clooneyfied: minor deviations from his smooth, fast-talking persona. Even his Batman was less … [Read more...]
‘Up in the Air’ is the year’s smartest movie
For once, we have to give the Golden Globe Awards credit for recognizing the smartest film in this year’s batch, Up in the Air, with a field-leading six nominations. The only catch is they have misunderstood the movie enough to categorize it as a drama, where it is actually a very dark satire of corporate America, recession division, and the “career transition counselors” who … [Read more...]