The trailers for Jason Retitman’s (Juno, Thank You For Smoking) 2009 heavy-hitting dramedy Up In The Air make it seem like any corny romance, comedy, drama movie blend we’ve seen 100 times before. The trailer made me wonder what George Clooney (Michael Clayton, Oceans 11) was thinking about agreeing to make what I perceived as One Fine Day Part II. This movie had all the makings for a character so disconnected from the world, only to realize three-quarters of the way through that what they thought they never needed was what they felt they needed the most.
The back story for this movie is corporate downsizing, which in 2009 was a very, very real concern for people. Perhaps there was no better year in my life where this story could be more relevant. Millions of Americans with once cushy jobs and prosperous lives were victims of a restructured America. Seemingly invincible companies fell by the wayside as businesses cut more and consumers spent less. Reitman perfectly captured the various feelings people might be going through when informed that they were losing their jobs and, thus, their way of life. We saw confused employees. We saw sad employees. We saw angry employees. We saw employees who thought what they were being told was a joke.
Clooney stars as Ryan Bingham, a playboy employment termination specialist hired by powerful companies who are forced to lay off members of their workforce but are afraid to do so. He is empathetic but unfazed, regardless of the situation, while those people he is firing pour through every emotion imaginable. Ryan delivers a prepared speech, during which he tries to convince the fired employee of the potential benefits of this opportunity. Ryan prides on living at home only 43 days a year. A life of traveling, flying, staying in fancy hotels, maxing out his food stipend, and eating in fancy restaurants suits him just fine.
Anna Kendrick (Twilight, Alice, Darling) stars as Natalie Keener, a young corporate upstart who convinces Ryan’s boss (Jason Bateman – State of Play, The Gift) that the company could reduce costs by having Ryan and others do their interactions via web cameras rather than face-to-face. Ryan thinks this is a horrible idea, partially because it would ground him in one spot and allow him to not travel the 300+ days a year he currently travels. Ryan takes Natalie on the road with him to show her the ins and outs of the job so that she can see these interactions firsthand.
Vera Farmiga (The Boy In The Striped Pajamas, The Departed) plays Alex Goran, Ryan’s hook-up and love interest. Like Ryan, her job involves a lot of travel, and, like Ryan, she tries to remain emotionally disconnected from all of the people in her life. Ryan and Alex each have the screen presence that has you buying into their relationship while hoping for something more.
I love movies with twists. That twist in M Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense was a stroke of genius. However, it is even more remarkable when a director can put a twist on an ordinary, everyday life event. Without giving anything away, that is precisely what happens here. The twist left me shaking my head, absolutely loving and hating it all simultaneously. Reitman created a masterpiece with three highly likable characters who each have amazing chemistry with one another.
Up In The Air is my second favorite movie of 2009, a year that currently has five movies in my top 100. It was nominated for 4 of the 6 “big” Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and two nominations for Best Supporting Actress. While it did not win any of its nominations, Up In The Air cemented itself as an audience favorite, a critical success, and a story that most Americans can relate to.
Plot 10/10
Character Development 10/10
Character Chemistry 10/10
Acting 10/10
Screenplay 10/10
Directing 10/10
Cinematography 10/10
Sound 10/10
Hook and Reel 10/10
Universal Relevance 10/10
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