Director Jason Reitman is back at the helm of another Oscar-reaching feature starring George Clooney called Up in the Air. Personally, I thought he'd be a one-hit wonder with Thank You for Smoking, but Juno proved otherwise, and now Up in the Air is taking the throne. Although it may have Oscar buzz surrounding it, is it really worth the watch? Or are the old Academy members still mesmerized by Clooney and his dramatic roles?
Glad to say, Up in the Air soars sky-high.
In short, it tells the story of a man named Ryan Bingham (Clooney) whose main job in life is traveling the world to different businesses and delivering the worst message an employee can hear: "You're being let go." (aka, "You're fired.") Being single, without children, and without many friends, flying different venues is his escape and also, his life. Along his journeys, he meets a woman in the same field as he named Alex (Vera Farmiga) whom he can empathize with. They both deal with the same business and similar lifestyle. After realizing all the elements they have in common, they begin a somewhat romantic relationship, meeting up during overlaying flights to go out and, well, you can imagine the rest.
After a while, though, a young woman named Natalie (Anna Kendrick) develops a plan to cut spending at Bingham's company by introducing a new, web-based form of consulting employees via webcam. Bingham believes this to be preposterous and nowhere near the same pressure nor effectiveness of performing the consultations face-to-face, so he takes her under his wing and shows her how to fire people the right way.
That's the entire main plot, which spirals different ways throughout the film. It's mastered excellently; the script is tight and witty, the direction is handled skillfully, and even the cinematography looks beautiful in certain scenes. Reitman isn't exactly new to handling a similar genre style (comedrama or dramedy, whatever you want to call it ), and it certainly shows with his latest outing.
Clooney gives a great performance; he gives exactly what you're supposed to feel from his character as a man devoted to his work, reaching a goal he never wants to lose sight of with that held-back hint of regret. The real star, however, is newcomer Anna Kendrick, who gives a powerhouse performance as Natalie, giving the audience a wide array of comedic touches, emotional sways and serious, dramatic pieces. She explores almost the entire emotional spectrum in this one film, and it never feels strange or out of place in any way.
The film is nearly flawless in its narrative form, but it's certainly not without its faults. It's hard to really give any criticism without giving away the ending and all, but I will say that Up in the Air seems to want to convey a sort of moral and/or message, which doesn't feel 100% clear towards the end. Also, some of the plot turns seem a tad bit forced and predictable. I also feel like the relationship between Alex and Ryan isn't explored enough, thus undermining the main concept of the film.
These minor problems aside, though, believe the hype. It's certainly deserving of a Best Picture nomination at the very least, and certainly a Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Director nod. The film is very enjoyable and, most importantly, believable and relatable in today's economic climate. Up in the Air isn't perfect, but it's fantastic and shows Reitman isn't leaving the industry any time soon.
8.5/10
-Kyle Shelton
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