Up In The Air (2009)
Director: Jason Reitman
Stars: George Clooney, Anna Kendrick, Vera Farmiga
Ryan Bingham (Clooney) may have one of the most uncomfortable jobs out there. He flies around the country to fire workers on behalf of companies who don't want to face the final conflict with their soon-to-be former employees. He seeks to perform this most sensitive task with a sense of dignity, and for him, the job comes with an enormous perk: air travel.
Air travel is easy for Ryan, as he has racked up more frequent flier miles than most people would know what to do with. He loves the amenities, the first-class treatment he receives, and the overall experience of being on the move. His way of life is about to be challenged, as his company introduces software that will ground all the road warriors and allow them to perform this most sensitive task via computer. This will save the company money, but Ryan resists, not only because of his love for flying, but because it depersonalizes the whole event.
Up In The Air is based on the novel by Walter Kirn, and I liked the film much better than the novel. The film is much tighter, more efficient, and director Jason Reitman effectively portrays the struggle between technology and the human touch, and between the isolation of the road and the challenges of committing to one place or one person.
Clooney and Kendrick are the standouts in Up In The Air, and their first meeting brings immediate conflict, as Kendrick's character Natalie comes up with the tele-termination idea that Clooney vehemently opposes, and they are paired up on the road so that Natalie can get a taste for the company's work and mission. They have great chemistry, and Kendrick portrays Natalie as over-confident in some aspects and rawly naive in others. Ryan gets involved in a relationship of a mysterious nature with Alex (Farmiga), who reveals precious little information about herself.
I highly recommend Up In The Air for the performances and the themes of the film, and the outstanding way that Reitman and the cast deliver those themes.
Director: Jason Reitman
Stars: George Clooney, Anna Kendrick, Vera Farmiga
Ryan Bingham (Clooney) may have one of the most uncomfortable jobs out there. He flies around the country to fire workers on behalf of companies who don't want to face the final conflict with their soon-to-be former employees. He seeks to perform this most sensitive task with a sense of dignity, and for him, the job comes with an enormous perk: air travel.
Air travel is easy for Ryan, as he has racked up more frequent flier miles than most people would know what to do with. He loves the amenities, the first-class treatment he receives, and the overall experience of being on the move. His way of life is about to be challenged, as his company introduces software that will ground all the road warriors and allow them to perform this most sensitive task via computer. This will save the company money, but Ryan resists, not only because of his love for flying, but because it depersonalizes the whole event.
Up In The Air is based on the novel by Walter Kirn, and I liked the film much better than the novel. The film is much tighter, more efficient, and director Jason Reitman effectively portrays the struggle between technology and the human touch, and between the isolation of the road and the challenges of committing to one place or one person.
Clooney and Kendrick are the standouts in Up In The Air, and their first meeting brings immediate conflict, as Kendrick's character Natalie comes up with the tele-termination idea that Clooney vehemently opposes, and they are paired up on the road so that Natalie can get a taste for the company's work and mission. They have great chemistry, and Kendrick portrays Natalie as over-confident in some aspects and rawly naive in others. Ryan gets involved in a relationship of a mysterious nature with Alex (Farmiga), who reveals precious little information about herself.
I highly recommend Up In The Air for the performances and the themes of the film, and the outstanding way that Reitman and the cast deliver those themes.
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