Up In The Air

Being a corporate downsizer must be a terrible job-telling somebody that they're going to lose their job is no small task, especially when it's most likely the only time they will ever see you. It's a job for bold people, created and demanded by cowards. Jason Reitman's "Up In The Air" is about Ryan Bingham (George Clooney), one such man, but is much more than a simple checklist of his life.

Such a checklist would actually be hard to accomplish, considering the fact that Bingham spends most of his time travelling across America by plane, racking up frequent-flyer miles, and "headcounts" as far as his job is concerned. His life is aptly summed up by flying from point A to point B, then C, and so on. As far as romance is involved though, between two such points he meets Alex (Vera Farmiga), in a way a female version of himself- and they begin a casual relationship.

Ryan is soon required to show a new coworker of his the ropes, when she proposes all firings be done online. Natalie, played by the delightful Anna Kendrick, tags along and learns new things not only about the job, but of course, about herself. Ryan keeps flying along America, hoping to reach the incredible number of ten million frequent-flyer miles, his life intertwining with the people he's fired, brushing on human interaction but never actually achieving it in its entirety.

The rest of the plot and the conclusion are not necessarily mind-blowing, but work for the most part, and are a showcase for the formidable parts played by the three.

Clooney is, simply-put, sensational here, his best work ever. His nuanced performance is sensible but distanced at the same time, carrying the movie on his shoulders with ease all the way. Vera and Anna are both a treat, proving that even though apart they can't keep up with Clooney's swagger, together they can.

If up to here "Up In The Air" seems little more than a relationship drama with bits of comedy sprinkled on top, upon deeper examination, it's a much more complex and rewarding experience. I found it to be a meditation on modern times, in which people are closer and closer with the aid of technology, but in reality are growing further and further apart. This movie knows people nowadays hide in plain sight, behind a transparent wall of blogs, streams, text messages and phone calls, and is not afraid to show it, without ever being preachy.

Reitman is a smooth director, and knows how to make a personal movie, taking all the little stories in the script (smart and instantly quotable) ,and crafting a universal one out of them-it's impossible not to note that it's a film that nearly begs to be taken in, to be liked. Even if you notice this, you won't mind- the result is not perfect, but these are not perfect times, are they?

Either a feel-good movie, that comes along in the nick of time during the recession, a subtle social analysis encompassing both man and machine or indeed a near-perfect character study, "Up In The Air" appeals to both heart and mind, and any minor imperfections should not persuade you to avoid this movie. If nothing else, see it for Clooney-like good wine, he gets better with age, and he's never been as good as he is here.

9/10 Stefan