Stream it now Up in the Air 2009

 

Up in the Air succeeds because it doesn't take itself that seriously and it's not interested in trying to explain obvious truths to the rest of us plebeians. It just wants to show a moment of fundamental change in a man's life.

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"Up in the Air" literally starts on a high, with a fly opening credits involving snapshots from a plane. And then, in the form of a well suited George Clooney, we meet the film's protagonist. His name is Ryan Bingham and his job is to fly over all over the country and do the firing for bosses with no balls to do them. It's a job that takes finesse and experience for he deals with people at their vulnerable state.

So how does one become good in bearing bad news? Well, Bingham has adapted a philosophy of human disconnect. He is barely in one place to develop a relationship. He flies so much that he calls the stratosphere his home. Sky is literally his limit. But don't worry, between flight connections, he finds flirt connections with a fellow cloud hopper (Vera Farmiga) for some adult playtime. (Cue the nudge-nudge, wink-wink).

Bingham's lifestyle however hits a turbulence at the event of company shake-up. As proposed by Natalie Keener, an assertive Cornell grad, the company now plans to fire people via video teleconference. It's way cheaper than flying a man over to do the dirty deed. Bingham thinks it's a bad idea. (And I agree -- it's cowardly and impersonal). This method might be efficient but dismisses the dignity of the job.

The movie's employment of unemployment is indeed timely, but it is seen from a pensive, elite standpoint. None of the major characters are fired, plus Bingham's company happily profits from the miserable economy. While the movie features the fallen victims of the firing squad, their despair and depression are never really displayed in depth. Furthermore, as contrasts, they make our well-off characters less sympathetic.

Despite this, "Up in the Air" flies on style with its comic timing and wit. Clooney comfortably dons Bingham like a pair of cushy shoes. He fits the part and runs with it. I really hate the hassle and hustle at the airport, but Clooney suavely gives us the illusion that flying is indeed fly. Another fitting performer is Anna Kendrick in the role of Keener. I've seen Kendrick shoot torrential lines in "Rocket Science" and she holds the same fire in this movie. She credibly plays an ambitious know-it-all who obviously doesn't ... know it all. It's a sophisticated part that could've been disastrous had it been offered to a more popular but daft "actress."

I do love the movie. The first hour was masterful. The characters are engaging. The dialogue is music. And it even manages to schill out insightful advice to enrich our wisdom. But what goes up must come down and the "come down" happens on the second hour. Nothing disastrous, but things become predictable as certain beliefs are eventually challenged. I don't mind Bingham being grounded, but he almost takes a nosedive for the sake of dramatic effect. I badly wanted to be uplifted, but the movie seems more inclined to decline.

After all the reviews I've read before watching this movie, I couldn't believe it was just so simple, nothing extravagant, not a new way of considering life. And also George Clooney wasn't at his best, he's usually terribly witty, but not this time, where that young actress, Anna Kendrick, put him in a darker light. She wasn't that bad anyway, but it wasn't a role that could fit her, of course, I don't know what kind of movies she made before this, but she's not the right face for a serious manager, she looks too naive.
The other actresses, maybe for the role they had to act, were disturbig, in particular Vera Farmiga.
Last thing: photography. It was good, but, I mean, they were in lots of airports, many many places, so why did they had to show just the same things? Ok, it gives the impression of something ripetitive, but they could add some beautiful landscapes, or unusual framings, even of the airport itself. That would had made a greater movie.
I appreciated the fact that the interviews of fired people were true, realistic

This film amazed me. Up In The Air's director Ivan Rietman was able to blend reality with dramedy in a contemporary and original way. The script is witty, emotional, powerful and original, something that makes for a winning film.

George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, an isolated fifty year old single man who's job it is to travel across USA laying people off for bosses that are too cowardly to do so. Upon a chance meeting at his home (the airport), he meets Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga) and begins a long distance daliance with her. Ryan's insensitive and arrogant boss (Jason Bateman) then informs him that he will be training a new graduate Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick), who devises a cost cutting method which will see Ryan loose his favorite hobby, his traveling. Ryan's dismissive nature towards his family catches up with him, when he discovers his sister is getting married in coming weeks. Along the course of the film, Ryan discovers that his ten million frequent flyer miles, his rewards cards and his job mean nothing in comparison to his family and his new love, Alex.

Never has a recent film had such chemistry as Up in the Air. Kendrick, Farminga and Clooney gel together perfectly and makes the character's empathetic and likable. I enjoyed the performance by Melanie Lynskey as Ryan's cooky sister, but I felt she was being typecast from her role as Rose in Two and a Half Men. The Hangover's Zach Galifianakis makes a cameo appearance at the beginning of the film as a fired employee, which in a funny way, is kind of sad.

The film benefit's from a lot of reality influencing the script. I applaud Reitman for hiring real life recently let go employees to appear in the film as fired employees.

The thing that got me was the film's climax. It didn't have to go to overboard in finishing off the film, and I applaud him for not, and finishing on a soft, emotional and inspirational ending.

Another fine film from Jason Reitman. Outstanding performances in a story that reveals its heart slowly.

A fantastic drama/comedy with strong performances from Clooney. You see through the eyes of a traveling businessman.

This is one of those rare dramas that at one point in this film you sit back in your chair and get pissed at the reality of life, that is what makes this movie so much more then just a another great cast with a great director. I love this movie and really have no problems with it other then that the trailer made you think it was more of a romantic comedy. nothing really funny in this movie but the way they said this is life. Not a sugar coated love story about a couple of love birds. Life sucks sometimes now pick up your baggage and fly to another destination. 9.8 and I really do wish vera had won the academy award for best actress, she really did deserve it more then bullock will EVER deserve anything

Disappointment! Great acting but depressing pointless plot. Some say its a mature story, but no its just makes you wanna go take a nap. Actors performances are only good part.

(****): Thumbs Up

Well-acted and directed. One of 2009's best.