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Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Up in the Air (2009)
Posted on 6:44 PM by Paolo
'Up in the Air' Review
By Paolo Sardinas
Every once in awhile we get a movie which features some of that original Hollywood magic. The ability to make movies which can combine various genres and create a masterful film is long gone. Until Jason Reitman came in. Though I wouldn't consider Up in the Air a masterful film, it's certainly a one of a kind comedy. One which already sets the tone, bar, and humor with the audience before it even begins. Adapted from the 2001 novel by Walter Kirn, this is an exceptionally entertaining film which is a fine craft.
Ryan Bingham (George Clooney), the film's main protagonist, is an interesting man. With an interesting, if not depressing, job. He is the literal version of "The Bearer of Bad News". Everyday, Ryan, walks into a another office in another city. He sits down at the opposite of a middle-class, hard working employee and spills the beans. "You're Fired" is the frank version of the whole "Don't worry this isn't the end but rather the beginning" yada yada bullshit. The fact of the matter is that Ryan's job is to fire people. Sit them down and tell them, very nicely, what their bosses don't seem to have the cajones, pardon the language, to say. Ironically enough he also happens to be a part time motivational speaker. That's right, the man whose sole life and job career is based on the fact that he fires people, actually gives helpful advice to others. It's almost like he's prepping them for his big visit.
But Ryan's new challenge is the new program being unleashed at his firm. Its a new piece of software that allows his fellow colleagues to virtually fire other people through the use of a web-cam. Bingham takes the young, and techno-savy, Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick), the software's designer, on a little road trip to witness the impact of firing someone face to face truly has. Of course Ryan is truly afraid of the fact that he just might be grounded thanks to this newly invented software. He's a man who enjoys his frequent flier miles, expensive hotel stays, and very "fun" lifestyle. Even if it means firing people as a career choice. That career, by the way, is an undeniable link to the current economic status and they way things are currently "going down". The film takes a great turn in a nice, but not sappy, turn as Ryan begins to get involved with Vera Farmiga's Alex Goran. It turns out they both work in the same field. They have a connection which is the first actual human connection that either of these character's endure throughout their entire careers.
These actors takes the film to new heights. Despite how unlikeable Clooney's Bingham is, you can't help but like him. His heartfelt attempt of trying to connect with the "client" may not come of as a truly inviting one; sometimes it doesn't come out at all. He could care less about the company and what financial turmoil they're going through. Through his job he's able to make these peoples final hours of working as pain free as they can possibly be. And through his connection with Goran, he's able to see just how much of his own humanity he's lost; eventually finding it all over again.
Director Jason Reitman has crafted a finely tuned film. Between his faithful script and some well done performances, he has created an in-depth film which manages to question just how much inner humanity one man can lose. Through his profession Bingham is able to live his life in air-ports and spend his time in lay-overs. Clooney's performance as a broken and lost man only makes the film more and more thought provoking while making is seemingly entertaining. It never falls flat and always continues to both make you laugh and may make you see things in another light. But Up in the Air is definitely one of the better films that 2009 has offered; it's the story of a man ready to make a connection. No matter how small or large.
Grade: A
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