“Up in the Air,” the third film by director Jason Reitman (whose previous credits include “Thank You for Smoking” and “Juno”), is unlike most studio-based comedies. For starters, it’s actually funny. However, this humor would not resonate if the film was not grounded in some humanity. Luckily, “Up in the Air” offers a social critique and a character study, both of which add depth to the film’s quick wits.
In the film, George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a professional downsizer who traverses across the nation laying off workers for corporate bosses. Through his job, Bingham has accumulated a gargantuan amount of frequent flyer miles, which he considers a great personal accomplishment. Enter Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick), a young business gal set on revolutionizing corporate downsizing through video conferencing. While Bingham adapts to Natalie’s new system, he meets business woman Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga), a frequent flyer herself, who eagerly starts a casual affair with him.
Through this premise, Reitman, freely adapting from a novel by Walter Kirn, shows how depersonalized our society has become with the advent of new technology. This technology, along with the constant, swift nature of everyday life, has made personal relationships harder to form and retain. Reitman takes this idea to the extreme with Ryan Bingham, a man who actively resists human relationships – both at his job and with his family. Through Bingham, Retiman filters his critique of modern society.
For the most part, “Up in the Air” succeeds in its endeavors. That is not to say that the film is perfect. A montage of real laid off workers works reacting to their predicament works beautifully by itself, but, ultimately, feels unnecessary. Thankfully, these montages do not kill the storytelling, which really snaps for the film’s first two acts, offering equal doses of drama and comedy. However, as the film reaches its conclusion, the film begins to overstate its social message through some overly preachy dialogue. Fortunately, the film compensates for this ham-fisted dialogue with an ambiguous, thought-provoking ending.
Aiding the film’s witty script is a talented ensemble. George Clooney delivers a funny, but equally sad, performance as the charismatic, yet confused and lonesome, Ryan Bingham. Anna Kendrick also shows off some fine comedic chops by bringing to light Natalie’s snarky attitude and lofty ambitious. However, the true stand-out is Vera Farmiga who captures Alex’s flirtatious tendencies, while simultaneously conveying her more mysterious attributes.
Thus, overall, “Up in the Air” is a satisfying experience. While it may not rank as one of the best or most inspired films of the year, it has the power to appeal to both mainstream audiences and high-brow film lovers. And that is quite an accomplishment.
B+
In the film, George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a professional downsizer who traverses across the nation laying off workers for corporate bosses. Through his job, Bingham has accumulated a gargantuan amount of frequent flyer miles, which he considers a great personal accomplishment. Enter Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick), a young business gal set on revolutionizing corporate downsizing through video conferencing. While Bingham adapts to Natalie’s new system, he meets business woman Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga), a frequent flyer herself, who eagerly starts a casual affair with him.
Through this premise, Reitman, freely adapting from a novel by Walter Kirn, shows how depersonalized our society has become with the advent of new technology. This technology, along with the constant, swift nature of everyday life, has made personal relationships harder to form and retain. Reitman takes this idea to the extreme with Ryan Bingham, a man who actively resists human relationships – both at his job and with his family. Through Bingham, Retiman filters his critique of modern society.
For the most part, “Up in the Air” succeeds in its endeavors. That is not to say that the film is perfect. A montage of real laid off workers works reacting to their predicament works beautifully by itself, but, ultimately, feels unnecessary. Thankfully, these montages do not kill the storytelling, which really snaps for the film’s first two acts, offering equal doses of drama and comedy. However, as the film reaches its conclusion, the film begins to overstate its social message through some overly preachy dialogue. Fortunately, the film compensates for this ham-fisted dialogue with an ambiguous, thought-provoking ending.
Aiding the film’s witty script is a talented ensemble. George Clooney delivers a funny, but equally sad, performance as the charismatic, yet confused and lonesome, Ryan Bingham. Anna Kendrick also shows off some fine comedic chops by bringing to light Natalie’s snarky attitude and lofty ambitious. However, the true stand-out is Vera Farmiga who captures Alex’s flirtatious tendencies, while simultaneously conveying her more mysterious attributes.
Thus, overall, “Up in the Air” is a satisfying experience. While it may not rank as one of the best or most inspired films of the year, it has the power to appeal to both mainstream audiences and high-brow film lovers. And that is quite an accomplishment.
B+
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