Rated R
(language and some sexual content)
1 hour 49 minutes
Storyline:
With a job that has him traveling around the country firing people, Ryan Bingham leads an empty life out of a suitcase, until his company does the unexpected: ground him.
Cast:
George Clooney
Vera Farmiga
Anna Kendrick
Critics Grade:
A-
(Consensus:Led by charismatic performances by its three leads, director Jason Reitman delivers a smart blend of humor and emotion with just enough edge for mainstream audiences.)
My Grade:
A
Ah, the weather is cooling, the smell of turkey is in the air, it is the time of giving...can only mean one thing: Oscar season! This is my favorite time of year, and not for Christmas. This is the time of year when movie studios pull out all the stops and give us movies that make us think and wonder, the amaze us, that put us in awe, that make us laugh and cry, the movies that make us feel something. Up in the Air is one of those movies, and is easily one of the very best films so far in 2009 and I was NOT expecting it by any means. I have to point out, as I have before, that I am not a big fan of Oscar winner George Clooney (Michael Clayton, Syriana). I don't think he's bad, I just don't understand this hype. But more on that later.
Up in the Air is a film that has a current and meaningful story. Clooney plays a ma
n who's job is to go around the country and fire employees for companies who don't have the courage to do so themselves. I don't know if this type of thing exists, but it's pretty damn grim if it does! The film has numerous shots of people getting fired and saying exactly what's on their mind! Here's a neat fact that adds so much authenticity to this film: they hired real life people who were recently fired from their jobs due to the recession, so that they could speak their mind on camera and get off their chest all the pent up anger. It actually creates quite an emotional connection to these people. We are all going through a rough time, I was without a job for almost three months so I know how it feels. That aspect of this film was told depressingly well.
The other part of this film is about people. Is about being alone and sheltered. How some of us hide ourselves from people because we feel they create to much baggage. Some of us want to just live our own stories alone and have no idea how many people want to step into our lives and love us and care for us. Some of us are comforted by this seclusion, as is the Clooney character in this film. Occasionally he interacts with other people, but it's only to get a quick fix. Perhaps this makes his job easier to fire people so that he doesn't have to relate to anyone or connect. This man is a well written character, and I think a fairly realistic look at what society is becoming. Selfish individuals who rather put ourselves in the number one slot.
He eventually connects with a stranger, a woman he meets at an airport played by Vera Farmiga (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Orphan) to which an affair ensues. But it becomes much more than that, and it confuses Clooney's character. He doesn't know how to feel or how to react to this. Then he is assigned a partner on his travel, a young strong willed woman played by Anna Kendrick (Twilight series). This woman has developed a more centralized way of doing Clooney's job...firing people via web cam. Clooney does not like this, he likes his home on the road. He shows this woman the ropes and she soon learns this job needs to be more personalized then just a computer. On their journey they sort of teach each other a thing or two about life.
This movie really just captivated me in a weird way. First of all, the film was directed wonderfully by Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking, Juno). He has this way of telling stories from a personal standpoint. We can relate to these characters he directs. He is excellent at creating people we can feel for and love. His shots are simple and never to eccentric, because this movie needs to be about human feeling and connection so his direction has to be grounded and he does a freaking great job at doing this! The screenplay deserves all sorts of award attention this season because it is one of the best of the year. There is actually some pretty meaningful and powerful dialog throughout this film that kind of grabs your heart strings a bit. The scenes of Clooney giving his motivational speeches are some of the best of the film, and are oddly moving in a dark kind of way.
Like I said before, I'm not a huge Clooney follower. I don't think I've ever seen him give a powerful performance, and he doesn't really do so here. However, his acting style was perfect for this character. Because I have to say that I thought he was quite brilliant in this film and for the first time I feel he truly deserves some Oscar attention (even though he's already won, I know). His performance is very low key but at times haunting and sad. It's a character that displays so many characteristics that most of us have. One of th
e best performances of 2009 for sure! Vera Farmiga has managed to slide under the radar the past few years, but I'll be damned if she sneaks by again this year! Again, there's nothing powerful about her acting here, but she creates this complicated character that none of us is really all that sure about. Do we like her? Do we trust her? What's her story? She does a masterfully subtle job at showing us the "temptation" (so to speak) in our lives. I can see her racking up a nomination. The biggest surprise for me was from young Anna Kendrick who plays Clooney's strong willed sidekick. You almost want to dislike this character for being the way she is, but my gosh, you can't help but love her! She's awkwardly charming and funny. She's adorable but also a bit annoying. She's just a young woman who doesn't know exactly what she's getting herself into in any aspect of her life. She already gave up on her dreams at the age of 22. If ever there was an Oscar worthy performance in this film, it is definitely Anna Kendrick (forget about Twilight!!!). She gives us something to smile about but also something to think about. Loved her!
This movie is currently playing very limited, and I don't know when it will get an expanded release. But this is one hell of a great film that should not be missed! I don't know if it will win Best Picture this year, but it will certainly give other films a run for their money. This is just one of those films you can't really say to many bad things about. It's funny, it's sad, it's current, it's just damn amazing! I loved this movie from beginning to end and I say to all of you to go and see it!!!
Up in the Air is a film that has a current and meaningful story. Clooney plays a ma
n who's job is to go around the country and fire employees for companies who don't have the courage to do so themselves. I don't know if this type of thing exists, but it's pretty damn grim if it does! The film has numerous shots of people getting fired and saying exactly what's on their mind! Here's a neat fact that adds so much authenticity to this film: they hired real life people who were recently fired from their jobs due to the recession, so that they could speak their mind on camera and get off their chest all the pent up anger. It actually creates quite an emotional connection to these people. We are all going through a rough time, I was without a job for almost three months so I know how it feels. That aspect of this film was told depressingly well.The other part of this film is about people. Is about being alone and sheltered. How some of us hide ourselves from people because we feel they create to much baggage. Some of us want to just live our own stories alone and have no idea how many people want to step into our lives and love us and care for us. Some of us are comforted by this seclusion, as is the Clooney character in this film. Occasionally he interacts with other people, but it's only to get a quick fix. Perhaps this makes his job easier to fire people so that he doesn't have to relate to anyone or connect. This man is a well written character, and I think a fairly realistic look at what society is becoming. Selfish individuals who rather put ourselves in the number one slot.
He eventually connects with a stranger, a woman he meets at an airport played by Vera Farmiga (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Orphan) to which an affair ensues. But it becomes much more than that, and it confuses Clooney's character. He doesn't know how to feel or how to react to this. Then he is assigned a partner on his travel, a young strong willed woman played by Anna Kendrick (Twilight series). This woman has developed a more centralized way of doing Clooney's job...firing people via web cam. Clooney does not like this, he likes his home on the road. He shows this woman the ropes and she soon learns this job needs to be more personalized then just a computer. On their journey they sort of teach each other a thing or two about life.
This movie really just captivated me in a weird way. First of all, the film was directed wonderfully by Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking, Juno). He has this way of telling stories from a personal standpoint. We can relate to these characters he directs. He is excellent at creating people we can feel for and love. His shots are simple and never to eccentric, because this movie needs to be about human feeling and connection so his direction has to be grounded and he does a freaking great job at doing this! The screenplay deserves all sorts of award attention this season because it is one of the best of the year. There is actually some pretty meaningful and powerful dialog throughout this film that kind of grabs your heart strings a bit. The scenes of Clooney giving his motivational speeches are some of the best of the film, and are oddly moving in a dark kind of way.
Like I said before, I'm not a huge Clooney follower. I don't think I've ever seen him give a powerful performance, and he doesn't really do so here. However, his acting style was perfect for this character. Because I have to say that I thought he was quite brilliant in this film and for the first time I feel he truly deserves some Oscar attention (even though he's already won, I know). His performance is very low key but at times haunting and sad. It's a character that displays so many characteristics that most of us have. One of th
e best performances of 2009 for sure! Vera Farmiga has managed to slide under the radar the past few years, but I'll be damned if she sneaks by again this year! Again, there's nothing powerful about her acting here, but she creates this complicated character that none of us is really all that sure about. Do we like her? Do we trust her? What's her story? She does a masterfully subtle job at showing us the "temptation" (so to speak) in our lives. I can see her racking up a nomination. The biggest surprise for me was from young Anna Kendrick who plays Clooney's strong willed sidekick. You almost want to dislike this character for being the way she is, but my gosh, you can't help but love her! She's awkwardly charming and funny. She's adorable but also a bit annoying. She's just a young woman who doesn't know exactly what she's getting herself into in any aspect of her life. She already gave up on her dreams at the age of 22. If ever there was an Oscar worthy performance in this film, it is definitely Anna Kendrick (forget about Twilight!!!). She gives us something to smile about but also something to think about. Loved her!This movie is currently playing very limited, and I don't know when it will get an expanded release. But this is one hell of a great film that should not be missed! I don't know if it will win Best Picture this year, but it will certainly give other films a run for their money. This is just one of those films you can't really say to many bad things about. It's funny, it's sad, it's current, it's just damn amazing! I loved this movie from beginning to end and I say to all of you to go and see it!!!
I really want to see this movie. It is getting such positive buzz. Not only the movie but all the actors as well.
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