Movie Review: Up in the Air

Very few movies have been helped by the economic climate more so than Up in the Air. This very moving story about a man who travels around the country to fire people, could fall apart in lesser hands but with George Clooney’s amazingly suave/human performance and one of the best screenplays in a while, this movie takes off. (no pu…well maybe pun intended)

Without giving too much of the plot away, George Clooney stars as Ryan Bingham, who works for a company that lends him out to other companies to fire their employees. Very real, yet shockingly distant, his character is a bunch of contradictions and he has two main goals in his life. One being to reach 10 million miles and another to continue his way of life. (He describes spending 40 something days at his home in Omaha with such disdain you wonder if their tourism will suffer lol) . This lifestyle is but into jeopardy with the appearance of Natalie (Anna Kendrick), an upstart college grad with the bright idea to fire people via teleconference. Ryan doesn’t like the thought of being grounded and his boss (Jason Bateman) sends them out so Ryan can show young Natalie the ropes.

Though he interacts with people on a personal level most of us won’t ever touch, Ryan’s way of life doesn’t leave him with much human interaction. A budding relationship with Alex (Vera Farmiga), the female version of himself who turns into something of a mystery and his sister’s impending wedding help serve him some wake up calls that maybe he should change and realize that life is much better enjoyed when you have someone to share it with.

As mentioned above this story could have easily fallen apart but with the production team and actors it far exceeded my expectations. The cast was wonderful lead by George Clooney. A movie STAR in his own right, he manages to make us like a character that we wouldn’t if we met in the real world. He manages to imbue human frailties into a person who can’t afford to crack under pressure. But the real joy of this picture were his interactions with the supporting players, whom carry the film just as much George. Vera Farmiga excels in her role as the temptress/girlfriend and the chemistry she and George have is incredible and together they were magic. One of my surprises was Jason Bateman as George Clooney’s boss. He was incredibly funny and slightly evil, any time he was on the screen was a plus.

But the real star of this picture was Anna Kendrick (whom you may know as Bella’s friend from Twilight), who threatens to walk off with the movie anytime she is onscreen. To merely say she is a scene stealer is a slight as she more than holds her own next to the more experienced actors. In one of the best supporting performances of the year, she manages to convey her characters drive amidst her frailty (the scene where she broke down because of her boyfriend was pure comedy). She is by far the most affecting actor in this piece.

This movie is sure to be an awards contender (it just won the National Board of Review’s Best Picture) and that is a testament to Jason Reitman. Those firing scenes were incredibly poignant and rough to here but Jason manages to lessen the blow with his compassionate camera. While his direction isn’t as showy or bold as some of his counterparts, his storytelling has never been better.

So if you are looking for a fantastic “adult” movie with biting wit and human interests, I would highly recommend this film.

My Grade:A-