like, it's one of the frontrunners for best picture and up for acting awards for all three leads. what??? explain to me how up in the air is any better than your standard romantic comedy fare. i mean, yeah, it takes itself a bit more seriously and it's generally well done, but the amount of acclaim this movie is getting is ridiculous.

nobody found the whole sister's wedding thing, getting stood up on her wedding day, clooney getting sent in to talk the groom back into it, to be incredibly contrived and cliche? that whole thing was a soap opera. and literally two seconds after the groom announced they were having financial difficulties that would prevent them from having a honeymoon, my wife turned to me and was like, "oh, he's gonna give them his miles." which he did later in the film. wow, i can't believe he learned that people were more important than things, what an unexpected character revelation. i mean, the whole thing was so telegraphed. again, the film wasn't bad and definitely a nice change of pace from the pretentious b.s. clooney usually does, but it was nothing above and beyond your standard romantic comedy.

as for the acting, what about this movie is oscar worthy? clooney is playing clooney (all the way down to his inability to dance), farmiga is playing an average middle-aged white woman, and kendrick did nothing that mandy moore or any other post-teeny bopper actress couldn't have done-- although to be fair, i did like kendrick's performance the most. point me to one scene in the entire movie that grabbed you and made you say wow at the acting. point me to one thing clooney or farmiga did that couldn't have been handled just as well by aaron eckhart and jen aniston, who i thought both had stronger acting performances in their critically-panned rom-com flop love happens (not saying award worthy but definitely better, and the roles gave them more dramatic material to work with).

and finally let me just say that i am in no way against romantic comedies-- probably more accurate to say romantic dramadies-- being up for best picture and acting awards (jerry macguire, anyone?), and i thought up in the air was a pleasant date movie, a nice saturday night out, but it is nowhere near up to award season standard on any level. the academy been drinking that clooney juice.