Up in the Air (B or 3/4 stars)
George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a corporate layoff officer in 'Up in the Air', directed by Jason Reitman (Juno). A man who savors solitude, Bingham relishes spending his days traveling high in the sky from city to city; delivering unfortunate news of layoffs to soon-to-be ex-employees of various companies. His life is spent in top drawer hotels, American airlines, & hectic airports. They are his home. In the past yr., he's spent 322 days 'on the road' & 43 "miserable" days at his 1-bedroom apartment that he rents in Omaha, Nebraska. He has no time OR desire for relationships. He owns nothing. He's not close with his family (back in Wisconsin); though, his younger sister requests his presence for her upcoming wedding. And his lofty goal in life is to amass 10,000,000 frequent flyer miles.
2 events bring disorder to Ryan's complacent existence. The 1st is a chance meeting with a fellow traveler (and loner), a woman named Alex (Vera Farmiga). Her m.o. to Ryan: "Think of me as yourself, only with a vagina". In Alex, Ryan finds someone who - initially - seems like a great new casual hook-up (you know, fly somewhere, meet, have sex, grab a plane to their next business stop, etc.). But with time, he develops a semi-normal relationship with her. The 2nd event occurs at his home base, where Ryan's boss (Jason Bateman) has decided to save travel $$ for the company, & implement a new technology which impersonally informs people via video feed that they are fired. This strategy is proposed by a new hire Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick); an arrogant, young up & comer. Hell bent to prove to her that her new technology is not the way to go, he brings her with him on the road. Misadventures ensue for all 3 principle characters.
This film is really quite good. Up in the Air's handling of 'loneliness & connection' is spot on. Ryan is a man who likes shutting himself off from the world; not wanting to deal with pressing, submerged emotions of any kind. Ryan is not a wholly compassionate person, even though his job requires his delving out some form of sympathy towards the people he's firing. He goes to work, relishes that it's an unenviable job, returns to his live-in suitcase, & drudges on; seeming to love every second of it. So when he meets Alex & builds a relationship - and when he meets Natalie, who threatens the existence of his cherished job - his submerged emotions slowly rise up. It's all done so very well within the script. And it's seamless. I didn't even realize it 'til I'm typing about it right now.
The film is also a good commentary on today's economic state in America. Corporations are dropping employees like flies. And never has this country been more inhumane in going about it than now (for the firing scenes, Reitman hired real-life laid-off employees for verisimilitude). There is nothing overly substantial about 'Up in the Air'. Now 'wow' factor. But it's polished, nuanced, well edited, & speaks the truth on the human condition more than most movies released this year. Just as opportunistic Natalie starts realizing the disheartening realities of her profession, Ryan begins to see the downfalls of his life path. George Clooney is a movie star, but not a brilliant actor. That said, he gives one of his best performances here in the emotionally-naked portrayal of a man whose underlying sadness is hidden by layers of quiet calm, self-assurance, & wit. Loneliness, he discovers, can be as deafening as it is virtuous. Anna Kendrick is a spit-fire as the too-professional, too-idealistic, wound-up Natalie. I enjoyed her breakdown scene in the middle of a hotel lobby.
And Vera Farmiga wowed me as the sexy, non-chalant Alex. Her chemistry with Clooney is amazing. And the scene when she talks about her expectations with men is a killer. These 3 characters & their situations are well-developed with back story & unforced dialogue. I thought a lot about my own life while watching the drama unfold. And I like how - though sadness fills the last few scenes - it's an optimistic film about the power of human bonds. 'Up in the Air' is intelligent, funny, tragic, romantic, poignant, & bittersweet. The film could've stood for a little more flair & a little less self-satisfaction in its final melancholic stages. The last 20 min. are not as effortless, insightful, or authentic as it's early brilliance. But overall, I think it's one of the best written films to have come out this year.
2 events bring disorder to Ryan's complacent existence. The 1st is a chance meeting with a fellow traveler (and loner), a woman named Alex (Vera Farmiga). Her m.o. to Ryan: "Think of me as yourself, only with a vagina". In Alex, Ryan finds someone who - initially - seems like a great new casual hook-up (you know, fly somewhere, meet, have sex, grab a plane to their next business stop, etc.). But with time, he develops a semi-normal relationship with her. The 2nd event occurs at his home base, where Ryan's boss (Jason Bateman) has decided to save travel $$ for the company, & implement a new technology which impersonally informs people via video feed that they are fired. This strategy is proposed by a new hire Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick); an arrogant, young up & comer. Hell bent to prove to her that her new technology is not the way to go, he brings her with him on the road. Misadventures ensue for all 3 principle characters.
This film is really quite good. Up in the Air's handling of 'loneliness & connection' is spot on. Ryan is a man who likes shutting himself off from the world; not wanting to deal with pressing, submerged emotions of any kind. Ryan is not a wholly compassionate person, even though his job requires his delving out some form of sympathy towards the people he's firing. He goes to work, relishes that it's an unenviable job, returns to his live-in suitcase, & drudges on; seeming to love every second of it. So when he meets Alex & builds a relationship - and when he meets Natalie, who threatens the existence of his cherished job - his submerged emotions slowly rise up. It's all done so very well within the script. And it's seamless. I didn't even realize it 'til I'm typing about it right now.
The film is also a good commentary on today's economic state in America. Corporations are dropping employees like flies. And never has this country been more inhumane in going about it than now (for the firing scenes, Reitman hired real-life laid-off employees for verisimilitude). There is nothing overly substantial about 'Up in the Air'. Now 'wow' factor. But it's polished, nuanced, well edited, & speaks the truth on the human condition more than most movies released this year. Just as opportunistic Natalie starts realizing the disheartening realities of her profession, Ryan begins to see the downfalls of his life path. George Clooney is a movie star, but not a brilliant actor. That said, he gives one of his best performances here in the emotionally-naked portrayal of a man whose underlying sadness is hidden by layers of quiet calm, self-assurance, & wit. Loneliness, he discovers, can be as deafening as it is virtuous. Anna Kendrick is a spit-fire as the too-professional, too-idealistic, wound-up Natalie. I enjoyed her breakdown scene in the middle of a hotel lobby.
And Vera Farmiga wowed me as the sexy, non-chalant Alex. Her chemistry with Clooney is amazing. And the scene when she talks about her expectations with men is a killer. These 3 characters & their situations are well-developed with back story & unforced dialogue. I thought a lot about my own life while watching the drama unfold. And I like how - though sadness fills the last few scenes - it's an optimistic film about the power of human bonds. 'Up in the Air' is intelligent, funny, tragic, romantic, poignant, & bittersweet. The film could've stood for a little more flair & a little less self-satisfaction in its final melancholic stages. The last 20 min. are not as effortless, insightful, or authentic as it's early brilliance. But overall, I think it's one of the best written films to have come out this year.