Do you know your ORD from your MSP from your MIA? Then Up in the Air – a movie starring George Clooney as the ultimate frequent flier – is for you.

Actually Up in the Air, directed by Jason Reitman of Juno and Thank You for Not Smoking,will appeal to more than the Platinum Elite set. Set for limited release on Dec. 4, with full opening on Christmas, the movie captures emotional freedom that comes from life on the road, as well as its flip side, loneliness.

(Disclosure: I saw it as a free advance screening last night. It’s also played at the Toronto and Telluride film festivals).

An executive whose job as a corporate executioner takes him to offices around the country, Clooney lives in Airportland, that sterile slice of  real estate consisting of the Airport lounge/first class cabin/chain hotel which nonetheless has an orderly appeal.

With nearly 10 million miles under his belt, Clooney’s character is king of this world. Anyone who travels frequently will enjoy his precise packing (carry on only, of course), his split-second method of sizing up the fastest way through airport security and his unfettered delight in using the elite check-in line. At times, I felt like I was overhearing a conversation on Today in the Sky or FlyerTalk (or between my frequent traveling coworkers, who have their own definite opinions about these issues).

But Clooney is about to get grounded, replaced by a video conferencing system – a move right out of USA TODAY’s Tuesday business travel page (the timeliness of this film, with repeated testimonials from people about to get fired, can be a little unsettling). He’s told to teach a newbie the rules of the road and much of the movie’s emotional core comes from his sharp and sweet interactions with young Natalie (played by Anna Kendrick). 

On his travels, Clooney also meets Alex, a female miles junkie – and their recognition of finding a kindred road warrior is fun to watch. The movie really captures the camaraderie that can develop during business travel. Drunken karaoke! Random hookups! Overzealous sharing of personal information! I’ve heard enough stories from always-on-the-road consultants in their 20s and 30s to know this stuff rings true.

Yet what happens on the road sometimes needs to stay on the road, and the most heart-breaking moments come when Clooney realizes that the emotional distance that serves him so well in Airportland doesn’t always work in the real world. Luckily, Reitman is a director that doesn’t play in easy answers and we don’t get the typical Hollywood ending. The movie brings you to the brink of the sentimental, but never falls over – making it a more credible and enjoyable experience.

I’m a Clooney fan, and he’s such a good choice for this role. He’s world-weary enough now that his face can say so much, and that’s used to great effect in this movie (he has some fantastic one liners as well). Up in the Air doesn’t have nearly as much substance as Michael Clayton, but I actually liked it better, mostly because of the glimpses of vulnerability that Clooney shows us.

Bottom line: If you like to travel, see it. If you like George Clooney, see it. If you like well-written and well-acted films with more than a hint of bite, see it. And if you are none of those demographics – well, then I’m not the one you should ask for movie recommendations.