From the first frame, which shows people being laid off, my mind was saying: “Here it is. This year’s Best Picture.” My theory for a long time is that the Best Picture at the Oscars reflects the mood of the country, our emotional mishigas, whatever it may be. “Up in the Air,” which deals with folks who constantly lay people off is that movie.

Slickly directed by Jason Reitman, “Up in the Air” concerns a perpetual bachelor Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) who loves being airborne more than he loves people. In fact, he’s on a quest to log 10 MILLION miles. Along the way, he meets a similar soul (Vera Fermiga) who travels a lot too.

The soullessness with which Bingham approaches his job is chilling. He’s guided onwards by his boss (the always-wonderful Jason Bateman). A whip-smart young girl (Anna Kendrick) brings new ideas to the company, and Bingham is recruited to take her on the road and show her the ropes.

That Bingham discovers his humanity during the course of this movie is no small feat. But it’s the parade of the jobless that resonates most in this troubling year.