MOVIE REVIEW: UP IN THE AIR
Up In the Air
Director: Jason Reitman
Screenplay: Jason Reitman
TRT: 109 Minutes (R) for language and some sexual content
Cast
George Clooney as Ryan Bingham
Vera Farmiga as Alex Goran
Anna Kendrick as Natalie Keener
Jason Bateman as Craig Gregory
Danny McBride as Jim Miller
Melanie Lynskey as Julie Bingham
Amy Morton as Kara Bingham
Sam Elliott as Maynard Finch
J. K. Simmons as Bob
Peacock Feathers (4 out of 5)
By Marcus Thorpe
For my money, George Clooney can flat-out out-act just about everyone in his field, and in Up in The Air, Clooney gets the chance to shine, and boy does he reach new heights here. With the snappy writing and directing of the ultra-talented Jason Reitman, Up in the Air is one worth getting your head out of the clouds to see!
The story is one that is all to real for so many, a tough economy is forcing companies to lay people off by the dozen. But instead of a firm hiring a head-hunter to find people for company, these companies have found head-hunters to come in a lop off the heads of several hard working, good, loyal employees. And that is where Clooney comes in, and boy is he good at it. As Ryan Bingham, Clooney has found a perfect blend of charm, humor, and a no-holds barred, no conscious, attitude where he walks in the door and walks out without blinking. Bingham’s job is to end the employment of hundreds of people around the country. While someone’s career is dying, Bingham’s existence is being the grim reaper. His home life in snowy Omaha, Nebraska is lonely, a white apartment, with white blinds, a white refrigerator. His life on the road is filled with color. He slides in and out of rental cars, first class, fancy hotels, even a few beds of ladies he meets on the road. He is just fine with going solo, only all that changes in 2 very different ladies. First, Bingham meets Alex (Vera Farminga) on the road. She is the female version of Ryan, living by her scheduler, her arrivals and departures, only this time she crash lands in the arms of Bingham. Alex is handled very capably by Farmiga. She is stunning, believable, even brings in vulnerability towards the end that makes you take notice about what life on the road is all about. The other lady in Ryan’s life is in Natalie (Anna Kendrick). Natalie is the new, very young, spitfire that has been hired to try and save Ryan’s company some cash. The solution is to take the color out of Ryan’s life by grounding the firing program from the road, and by doing it at home, over the internet. Kendrick does a fantastic job as the woman who has her hair tie just a tad too tight, just can’t seem to get it together in the relationship department, and curses Ryan & Alex’s casualness.
When it comes to direction, there are few that get it like Jason Reitman. He uses words to the very peak of interesting. He allows his characters to breathe, take their time, then hit you with powerful, punchy lines like “there is nothing cheap about loyalty”, and “the slower we move, the faster we die”. He embraces characters, and never underestimates the power of a shrewd glance, and cutting conversation.
Clooney and the film are already getting plenty of praise on the awards front, and it is certainly well deserved. I don’t think we are seeing the best film of the year, but for Clooney, it is just another notch on his fantastic roles belt. This guy gets plenty of attention for his “most beautiful” looks, but I think his acting flies even higher in this one!
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Posted by
on 12/27 at 08:59 PM
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Comments
This looks like it’s going to be great. The economy is definately a pain right now this is a great niche for a movie! Not to mention George Clooney is the man! I’d say that this movie is going to blow away the box office and sell out when it hits DVD.
Thanks alot!
Adam
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