Review: ‘Up in the Air’ soars under Jason Reitman’s direction

The more that is seen from director Jason Reitman, the more his work should be appreciated. His deft touch and minimalist style can easily be upstaged by quirky screenplays or a large name in the cast. If Up in the Air does anything, it shows that Reitman, whose previous works include Juno (Reitman was nominated for best director in a very competitive year) and Thank You For Smoking, can make a mature and relevant film. If Reitman’s name is mentioned, it should be mentioned along with David Fincher, Darren Aronofsky and Paul Thomas Anderson as one of the best directors of the early 21st century. Adding in the unadulterated charisma of George Clooney and a superior supporting cast, the film is easily one of the best features of 2009.

Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a job assassin at the suspiciously named Career Transition Counseling. He spends 322 days a year traveling, “which means I had to spend 43 miserable days at home,” he laments. When cowardly companies don’t have the courage or gumption to terminate their employees, in comes CTC to handle that nasty business with faux-empathy and a pseudo-kindness that those now-unemployed workers will need. Nobody does it better than Bingham. Affable, warm and endearing (you know, typical Clooney traits), Bingham is a ready-made C.A.R.E package. For him, there is a certain dignity to what he does so it is with certain displeasure that Natalie (Anna Kendrick), fresh out of school, comes up with a cost-saving measure for the company: ground all the staff and can people via video chat because, really, if there’s anything that can do without a human touch, it’s firing people.

Being that Natalie is so new to the industry, it is determined that the fresh-faced gal attend a few firings herself to fully understand the current line of work to help enhance future shifts. Assigned to travel with Ryan by their boss (Jason Bateman), Natalie comes face-to-face with the grim spectrum of providing cataclysmic life-altering news. Meanwhile, Ryan, who feels at home on a bar stool in an airport bar, meets Alex (Vera Farmiga), another road warrior who is actually Ryan “with a vagina.” They meet in a hotel lounge and engage in foreplay by comparing their frequent flyer miles and gold/platinum/titanium cards. The attraction between them is swift and the two head off to consummate their new-found shared interests in elitism.

Ryan enjoys spending most of his life in the sky and away from such inconveniences as family and a long-term relationship. He’s so keen on the idea that he has a side business as an “inspirational” speaker advocating this life style, which is centered around the idea of ‘what you would carry in your backpack’? Surely not family, friends and love. All you need is a toothbrush and a condom. However, when Ryan is grounded as part of Natalie’s new initiative, his worldview comes under duress and that sparsely decorated apartment appears shockingly empty.

Up in the Air is strangely aloof yet is one of the most fastidiously crafted films this year and is built upon brilliant performances from Clooney, Farmiga and Kendrick, who, prior to this piece, was probably best known from the Twilight universe. Her breakout performance here should provide her with some meatier roles. Clooney, like Reitman, is getting better with age and his ability to show both a stone unfeeling suit to a thoughtful one may not have took place ten years ago. It’s always been a joy to watch him but the 48-year-old is easily in his prime now.

The film doesn’t tread into satire, which would have been easy do. Instead it merely exists in real life. Massive lay-offs, the replacement of humanity by technology and the rise of cowardice all are intricate themes in the movie. It’s not the type of film that will tie everything up in a pretty bow; like in life, it’s complex and rather gloomy, but spiked with a few good laughs along the way. Viewers who are looking for escapist entertainment may not find it here since Up in the Air magnifies modern-day issues without attempting to solve them. Still, despite the subject matter, the surprisingly nimbly-adapted screenplay makes this film a genuine gem. Clooney, under Reitman’s direction, is fantastic.

Rating

Author Bio: Erik Buckman is the Managing Editor of Reelloop.com. He likes movies. And rainbows. Maybe sunshine. Follow him on Twitter.