UP IN THE AIR with CLOONEY & CO.

If you would have told me back in the early 90's, when I was working press junkets for ABC and the show ROSEANNE, that George Clooney (a supporting player on the sitcom) was gonna make the jump to major movie star, I would of cocked my head like the RCA Victor dog. Well, that's how the world turned (thank you, Michael Crichton & ER), the actor famous for having a big head (literally) and living the swinging bachelor life has turned out a seamless performance in the new movie, UP IN THE AIR. Playing Ryan Bingham, a man with nothing tying him down (not even a pot bellied pig), he flies across the country firing people for spineless office managers. Not that this gives him any great pleasure, what he really digs is the perks that all his frequent flyer miles gives him, in fact his great goal in life is to be the seventh person who's ever flown ten million miles (and the special engraved credit card that comes with the honor!) Everything seems to being going smooth, until two things knock him off his course. The first being a sexy kindred spirit in travel, Alex. Played by the delectable Verma Farmiga (there's a great hotel room scene, where either Farmiga or her body double is just wearing a neck tie...) and also coming into his life is Anna, played by Natalie Keener, she's a young go-getter who's found a great way to save the company lotsa money, unfortunately it's gonna get in the way of Clooney's/Bingham's grand ten million mile goal. If you love airport terminals and hotel bars, this is the movie for you! This film also boasts an appearance by the great, SAM ELLIOTT (is he in Avatar too?) Directed and co-written by Jason Reitman, it should get many nominations come Oscar time. Even though Clooney is now a rich movie star whom, I think now has a summer palace in North Korea? I hear he likes to party with fellow ladies man, President Kim Jong Il...(anothor fellow with a large head.) GC still has the acting chops to play a charming (if not shallow) bachelor and make you really get into his character (I can only wonder what Roger Moore or David Janssen could have done with this role? This time traveling casting thought will cloud my mind for weeks now!) I actually like George Clooney (maybe for the reason that we're the same age?), in fact, I wish now, that I would have grabbed on to his coattails at ABC, maybe I'd be doing the conga line with him and Kim Jong, right now?