Up in the Air Review

There are no spoilers in this review.

PLOT: Ryan Bingham is a corporate downsizing expert whose cherished life on the road is threatened just as he is on the cusp of reaching ten million frequent flyer miles and meeting the frequent-traveler woman of his dreams.


THE GOOD: Jason Reitman. Jason Reitman began writing the screenplay for Up in the Air in 2002 and was planning to make it his first feature. The opportunity to make Thank You for Smoking (2005) and Juno (2007) presented themselves and he put this off until 2009. It was a move that worked in his favor. Since the world plummeted into an economic recession and people were getting laid off in large quantities, the audience has an easier time identifying with the people in this film. When I think of this movie, I keep wanting to call it an indie film, but it's not. I'm going to steal a great quote I read off of Roger Ebert's review and that is "[Reitman] makes smart, edgy mainstream films. That's harder than making smart, edgy indies." Spot on. Reitman is on a roll and he is on his way to becoming one of the best directors of our time. I look forward to seeing what he does next.


Screenplay. Reitman's script, which is co-written by Sheldon Turner and based off of a novel by Walter Kirn, is similar to his Thank You For Smoking. Both are about one man's mission to get what he wants in his life while working for a larger organization. This movie touches a lot on the theme of how humans interact with each other and the need for that kind of contact. You see, Ryan Bingham is a loner. He travels the country by himself, he has no friends, and he barely stays in touch with his family. He meets Natalie (played by Anna Kendrick) who introduces a new layoff system that does not require for people like Ryan to travel around the country laying off workers. Ryan argues that Natalie has no idea what it takes to fire people and how important it is for a physical person to be there. Without spoiling anything, I will say that Ryan begins to understand that the same goes for his life as he travels with Natalie and occasionally meets up with a woman named Alex for casual encounters. It's a great story that I really enjoyed watching.

Acting. George Clooney seems to fit into the role of Ryan Bingham so naturally. I can look at George Clooney and believe that he really does this for a living. Vera Farmiga was okay. Nothing spectacular, but it will probably be her best performance. She was no where near as awesome as Anna Kendrick who is known from the Twilight movies. She was great as the joyful Natalie with her go-get-'em attitude. I'm sure she'll also be good in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World where she will play Scott's sister, Stacey. I also liked J.K. Simmons' short, but noteworthy scene.


THE BAD: Nothing. I can't think of anything that I disliked. There are certainly things that weren't very memorable like the music, the editing, and the wasted use on comedic talent (i.e. Jason Bateman, Danny McBride, and Zach Galifianakis).


THE END: Up in the Air is one of the best films of the year and I predict it will be nominated for Best Picture at this year's Academy Awards. It might even win. I put it at #6 on my list of Top Ten Movies of 2009. It's a great movie that deserves lots of praise and will come to have much success. See it now.


DISCUSS: What is your favorite Jason Reitman film? What did you think of the performances in the film? What themes did you get out of Up in the Air?