Review: Up in the Air

Need an antidote to the sentimentality to the holidays? Up in the Air is a breath of cinematic fresh air.  Jason Reitman's third film is another book adaptation, this time a novel by Walter Kirn, a 2001 novel.

Ryan Bingham (George Clooney), a "career transition" consultant, is happiest when he's up in the air, and upping his frequent flier miles to astronomical heights. He barely sees his own family, and may not even make it to his own sister's wedding.  This is the guy most of us fear; the guy delivering the deathblow to your paycheck as he tells you it's really a rebirth.  To Ryan, the less weight in your life, from relationships to possessions, the better. But when he's forced to team up with the upstart analyst (Anna Kendrick) has found ways to automate the system and threatens Ryan's way of life, and changing his perspective.

Clooney can play smarmy well, but he also adds humanity to a man whose only connections are at airports despite dramatically affecting the lives of dozens of people every new assignment.  Kendrick's Natalie holds her own with Clooney even as she trips over her own inexperience.  But it's Vera Farmiga's Alex who steals every scene, right from the moment she and Clooney (Ryan)  flirt over business traveler perks. 

At a time when too many people have been effected by Reductions in Force, corpspeak for we don't want you anymore, it's a timely tale that can hit a little too close to home.  Reitman includes real people re-enacting their own "RIF" stories, either duplicating their response, or what they wanted to say. It brings an authenticity no one who hasn't sat in that chair can bring.

In fact, the opening credits alone with some incredible aerial shots are worth the price of a full ticket alone, with some perspectives never seen on film before, that required special cameras to film. Reitman put a lot of care into the filming, including a wedding scene that was filmed as if it was an actual wedding.  The result is a series of wistful, intimate moments no amount of dialogue could evoke.

Jason Reitman is now 3:3 for feature films; Up in the Air, his follow up to Juno and Thank You For Smoking is an entertaining and refreshing film.  Where Juno demystified the minds of intelligent teens, and Thank You For Smoking put political correctness and personal responsibility into perspective.

While the tale itself isn't relevatory, that doesn't make it any less worthwhile.