George Clooney's 'Up in the Air' Gets Rave Reviews

Movies with meaning.

In George Clooney's newest role, he plays a corporate downsizer who is on the verge of making the only real human connection he's ever had. The actor is winning wide-spread praise for his performance, and now the film, Up in the Air, has won New York's National Board of Review's award for best film of 2009.

In the film, Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a business man who's logged almost five million frequent flier miles when suddenly his company decides to cut back on travel expenses. This puts his job at risk, but more importantly it may prevent him from seeing the fellow traveler he has fallen for, played by Vera Farmiga.

So far Up in the Air is a hit with critics. Ann Hornaday of the Washington Post calls it "a timeless movie that's utterly of its time -- a movie of humor, heart and mind." Entertainment Weekly's Owen Gleiberman described the film as "light and dark, hilarious and tragic, romantic and real," while Peter Travers of Rolling Stone only had a "One-word reaction: bravo."

So with the NBR's award and the increasingly laudatory reviews from critics, Up in the Air's chances at this year's Academy Awards are firmly on the ground. The film opens today, so make sure to run out and see what all the hype is about.