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Jason Reitman has brought us great movies in the past, and his newest film, Up in the Air is no exception. It continues in his style of witty, satirical, intelligent comedies. If you liked Juno or Thank You for Smoking, you will also like Up in the Air. Starring George Clooney, Anna Kendrick, and Vera Farminga, this movie grabs you from the get-go.
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As the movie starts Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) is traveling around the country, flying from one unexciting town to the next, firing people for a living. His company is contracted out by other companies who don’t want to fire their own employees. Bingham enjoys his crazy lifestyle, including being home about 20 days out of the year, distance from his family, and having very little to weigh him down. Then, company newcomer Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick) suggests that the company could save a lot of money if they fired people remotely over video chat. Before the boss signs over on the new plan, Bingham is assigned to take Keener on the road with him, and show her why he thinks the in-person firing system works the best. Along the way Bingham starts to develop the first moderately serious relationship of his life, while Keener relationship falls apart. The movie dives into the meaning of relationships, the importance of connecting with those around you, and seeing the world through someone else’s eyes.
Reitman’s adapted screenplay is fantastic. It’s based on the book of the same name written by Walter Kirn, and it’s filled with the intelligent humor that is so frequently overlooked by filmmakers in lieu of physical comedy or jokes about body parts. The strength of each of the characters by themselves makes the strength of the ensemble cast that much stronger. The characters are believable, the situations they are in are believable, and this makes each of them relatable characters.
Up in the Air is a well-directed, well-written, well-acted movie. It’s leading the nominations at the Golden Globes for a reason. It won Best Picture from the National Board of Review and the Critics Choice Awards for a reason. It wasn’t my favorite film of 2009, but it’s definitely in the top 5. I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars. |
