TORONTO — It’s George Clooney like you’ve never seen him: immensely charming but vulnerable in ways never before displayed on the screen.
That’s the consensus on the sublime “Up in the Air,” which wowed the press at the Toronto International Film Festival yesterday in advance of its red-carpet premiere here tonight.
Clooney gives the performance of his career as a slick corporate downsizer whose sole interest in life — besides one-night stands — is accumulating 10 million frequent-flier miles from American Airlines as he crisscrosses the US as a hired hatchet man.
This expert blend of cutting social commentary, existentialism and romantic dramedy would seem to hit the same Oscar sweet spot as “Slumdog Millionaire,” which won the Best Picture Oscar after its ecstatic reception here a year ago.
Clooney previously received a Best Supporting Actor trophy for “Syriana” in 2007, the same year he was nominated for directing and co-writing “Good Night, and Good Luck.” He also received a Best Actor nomination for “Michael Clayton” the following year.
Since “The Perfect Storm” nine years ago, the preternaturally handsome star has not had a major moneymaker outside the “Ocean’s 11” ensemble comedies.
That may change with “Up in the Air,” which taps straight into the recession zeitgeist in an awards-friendly way but still manages to be enormously entertaining for date-night crowds.
Ably abetting Clooney is Vera Farmiga (Matt Damon’s girlfriend in “The Departed”), who does Oscar-caliber work as a fellow road warrior who describes herself thusly to Clooney’s character: “Think of me as yourself, only with a vagina.”
Another female character who helps Clooney rethink his aversion to any kind of commitment — did the perennial bachelor draw on his own life for his deeply felt work? — is played by Anna Kendrick.
She’s an ambitious executive who develops a system for firing people remotely via computer screen. When the not entirely callous Clooney challenges this impersonal new approach, his boss (Jason Bateman) orders Clooney to reluctantly take the young woman on a downsizing road trip.
“Up in the Air,” which Paramount has just moved up to a Nov. 13 release from December to capitalize on deafening buzz, is a strong contender not only for Best Picture and Best Actor, but also for Best Director because of the pitch-perfect work of Jason Reitman (nominated for “Juno,” which also got a Best Pic nod).
Reitman, a Canadian who grew up in Los Angeles, could be up for a Best Adapted Screenplay with Sheldon Turner, who helped rework Walter Kirn’s novel for the screen. Eric Steel’s cinematography is also noteworthy.
Clooney, who reportedly serenaded a woman at a Toronto restaurant Thursday night on her birthday, is also here with the wonderfully goofy “The Men Who Stare at Goats,” the directorial debut of his longtime producing partner, Grant Heslov.
In a 180-degree switch from “Up in the Air,” Clooney plays a shaggy veteran of a group of US Army irregulars known as the “New Earth Army” who specialize in paranormal combat. The wacky action toggles between Fort Bragg in the 1980s and 2002 Iraq.
Ewan McGregor (of the “Star Wars” prequels) plays an investigative reporter who, at one point, proclaims, “I’ve never heard of a Jedi warrior,” while Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey are cast as new-age wackos.
Though enormous fun — yes, there are goats, as well as LSD trips — the whole thing is very reminiscent of Clooney’s directing debut, “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind” (2002), which was not a notable success at the box office.
More at nypost.com/blogs/movies.