George Clooney well deserves the mounting accolades for his performance of a happily unattached and debonair eccentric, who is unaware of his loneliness. Ironically, the general public readily perceives that this is the true persona of the famously single actor.
Through his character and with a pinch of humor, Up In The Air opportunely touches on the emotional and financial blows of unemployment as well as the ravenous consummation of technical connectivity that erodes our capability for true intimacy.
Terminations and Terminals
The film opens with a series of job firings, including the ungluing of a grief-stricken, terminated employee (portrayed by comedic actor Zach Galifianakis). Next, scenes flash of Ryan Bingham (Clooney) as he methodically packs his solitary, wheeled carry-on and progresses through airport security procedures.
Based out of Omaha, Bingham is a corporate downsizing expert and frequent-flyer, who merrily exercises these travel rituals. Through mileage point accrual, the status-craving traveler is rewarded with escalating levels of privileges.
At a private airport club lounge, Ryan bonds with a sexy business woman, Alex (Vera Farmiga), who can rival him with her own cache of elite airline loyalty program cards. After enjoying an uncomplicated and adventurous sexual romp, the two constant fliers compare travel schedules to arrange future hook-ups.
Once back at his home base, Bingham is greeted by his boss, Craig, (Jason Bateman) with the news that business is better than ever, but Ryan, and the other traveling employees have been grounded. Craig proudly introduces a recently hired, Ivy League MBA graduate, Natalie (Anna Kendrick).
The polished upstart has devised an efficient solution to the company’s excessive travel expenditures from sending employees across the country to conduct their client’s outplacement services. Natalie has proposed their current face-to-face practice be replaced with terminations via video teleconferencing.
Ryan resists this abrupt decimation of his carefully cultivated life-style. He insists Natalie is uneducated to the delicate human factor involved in his work. After pleading to his boss to stay on the road, (or, "up in the air"), Natalie is sent to shadow Ryan on one last tour to show her the ropes.
As Ryan awakens Natalie to the reality of the traumatic effects her new job imparts on each individual losing their livelihood, she, in turn questions his affinity for no personal attachments. When, Natalie has the opportunity to observe Ryan and Alex together at a generic hotel techno conference, she sees the real potential for a meaningful relationship between them.
His romantically hopeful colleague calls Ryan on his selfish and isolated standard of living. This becomes a source of irony, when Bingham receives a privileged invitation to share his personal philosophy at a self-improvement seminar.
At his presentations, he inspires his global-trotting, technology-connected attendees to unburden their “backpacks”. They are urged to attain this by letting go of their material possessions and personal connections that they incessantly haul around.
Crash Landing Without A Co-Pilot
Accompanied by Alex, Ryan dutifully attends his sisters’ small hometown wedding. A crisis obliges Ryan fulfill his role as an involved family member. This, together with the time spent with his soul-mate, Alex, and his outspoken co-worker, Natalie, has begun to soften his emotional walls.
The disconnected motivational speaker comes to realize that cherishing and sustaining one’s mementos and intimate relationships are indeed valuable; and worthy of their weight. By the time Ryan achieves this emotional maturity, he is suffers a devastating shock.
Comparisons to the heavily Academy award-nominated film, “Michael Clayton” will be unavoidable, but, in no way should diminish the films’ own powerful human story and the all-around dynamic performances from its cast.
Stay through the end credits, to hear the voice message left by Kevin Renick, just before the movie’s theme song plays. The songwriter/musician left the message for Jason Reitman. Renick wrote the theme song after losing his job, then, sent it to Reitman, in the hope that the director would use the ballad in his upcoming film.
The Cast and Crew of Up In The Air
Up In The Air stars George Clooney, Vera Farmiga (Orphan, The Departed, Down To The Bone), Anna Kendrick (New Moon, Twilight), Jason Bateman (Couples Retreat, Hancock, Juno), Amy Morton, Melanie Lynskey (The Informant!, Away We Go), Danny McBride (Tropic Thunder, Pineapple Express, Superbad), Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover), J.K. Simmons (I Love You Man, Burn After Reading, Juno) and Sam Elliot (Did You Hear About The Morgans?, Thank You For Smoking).
Directed by Jason Reitman (Juno, Thank You For Smoking). Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, based on the novel “Up In The Air” by Walter Kirn (Thumbsucker). Cinematography by Eric Steelberg. Edited by Dana E. Glauberman.
Produced by Jeffrey Clifford, Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman. Executive producers are Michael Beugg, Ted Griffin, Joe Medjuck and Tom Pollock. U.S. release by Paramount Pictures.
Limited theatrical opening on Dec. 5th; expanding on Dec. 11th, then, opens wide on Dec. 25th.
(Running Time: 109 min)
(Rated: R; for Language and Some Sexual Content.)
