Up in the Air

So, I haven't gone to the movies since Predators, but I did watch Up in the Air on DVD. I'm hoping to go see Inception soon, and then have what looks like an amazingly fun time watching Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. So anyways, it was time to get my money's worth from my Netflix account. I've been wanting to watch Up in the Air for a little while now. I had heard that it was terrific, and then it got some big time Oscar nominations (Best Picture, Best Director, George Clooney for Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Adapted Screenplay, 2 Nominations for Best Supporting Actress with Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick). So, was it worth the hype?

Yes, 100% yes.

I actually enjoyed it and saw more value in the film itself than the two front runners of the Oscars, The Hurt Locker and Avatar. This movie just had terrific character development, and can be appreciated by almost anyone. The story is about a man(Clooney) who travels all over the world for his job. That job is to fire people.

Ryan Bingham (Clooney) is isolated even though he is surrounded by people. He is estranged from his family, in part because they view him as a selfish man who never does anything for anyone else. He doesn't have any lasting relationships because he flies all over. And he doesn't want lasting relationships, which is evidenced in his motivational speeches throughout the film. His only goal in life is to accomplish something that has only happened 6 or 7 previous times.

So, Bingham develops strangely enough through his relationships. Early in the film he meets the love interest in Alex (Farmiga), whom like him travels all over in some sort of consulting manner. Their meeting shows how shallow both of them are, as they discuss all of the memberships and rewards programs they are in. This naturally leads to a romantic relationship between the two, where they try to meet whenever their paths cross. After meeting Alex, Bingham meets the entrepreneurial Natalie Keener, who is trying to revolutionize the company he works for by cutting travel costs having them fire people via Webcam chats. Bingham is appalled, as he sees what he does as something that needs the personal and compassionate touch of someone that is there in the room with them. He considers himself the transitory ferryman with their careers. So Bingham is charged with taking Keener on the road (or airways) to show her the ropes.

A recurring theme in the movie is loyalty. Despite his lifestyle, Bingham treasures loyalty over relationships. Loyalty to himself, loyalty to his job, loyalty to whatever rental car company/hotel service/airline. This importance interestingly plays a large role in how he interacts with people.

The film is really good at mixing drama and comedy. It isn't really a comedy or a drama. Nor would I call it a Dramedy. It just has a way of making you laugh at the ridiculousness of how people are, and their witty dialogue at moments. The story is kind of sad because of the loneliness of the main character. This is just a story about life. They don't do flashbacks through the film, but Reitman does a really good job of including snippets of Bingham's past so you can get a fuller look at his character.

Clooney was well deserving of his Oscar nomination, as were Farmiga and Kendrick. The chemistry between all of these actors was incredible, and the cast just gelled perfectly together. Even Jason Bateman did a great job in his smaller role as the Bingham's boss.

I'd say the movie gets a 5 out of 5. It hits home during the Economic crisis, but I can see this movie standing the test of time due to the human element of the film.