Review: Up In The Air

For my first official review on this blog, I figured I would start with a big one. Up In The Air is currently on lots of lists, and the nominations have only begun for this much talked about film. And rightfully so, because it is a fantastic picture.

Jason Reitman, director of Juno, has crafted a great movie about any number of things: the lure of a life always on the go, the ups and downs of living without various emotional or material attachments, even the state of the economy and careers in the sometimes hard to stomach business world.

George Clooney is Ryan Bingham, a man who's hired by large corporations to come in and fire their employees, and he spends his days flying around the country for just that purpose. It's a difficult job to be sure, and the difficulties become evident again and again as you see the emotional effects on the faces of the terminated employees. Bingham is not a horrible person, but he does carry out his duties well, if only because it allows him the freedom to live his life free of commitments and attachments which would weigh him down. Clooney is excellent in this role, and he plays Bingham with his usual subtlety and charm.

However, the supporting cast shines as well. Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, and Jason Bateman are all great, but for me the real stars of the film were those poor souls who were terminated. There were a few "real" actors among the bunch (best of which was J.K. Simmons), but the majority of the recently unemployed were individuals who had lost their jobs and were asked to speak their thoughts to the camera, and this gave the film such a grounded and honest feel to it.

I loved this movie. Perhaps the thing I enjoyed most was the character of Ryan Bingham himself. His life is always on the move, and there are two distinct moments in the film where I really got a sense of how important that life is to him. His job is horrible, and his life is terribly lonely for sure, but yet there is something appealing about it that almost makes it worth it all. Almost.

Final Grade: A