Loyalty is never cheap

Rating: 8/10 (21 December 2012)

Corporate America is verging on collapse with the housing market in turmoil, automotive industry in free-fall and no veritable option for recovery in sight. Life couldn't be better for high flying Ryan Bingham (George Clooney), who spends some 320 days per year traversing the country being paid heavy cash for firing people. Living out of a suitcase the ultimate goal for Ryan is collecting 10,000,000 frequent flier points at American Airlines (already being a Concierge member) to receive the vaunted privilege of being only the seventh person ever to reach this total. Loyalty is never cheap, and Ryan offers his to various programmes, never to people, only ever entering into casual on-road relationships, like with Alex (Vera Farmiga). When confronted with the niggling possibility that his line of business will become stationery due to tele-conference technology forwarded by young, but brash new recruit Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick), Ryan must confront his lifestyle with the reality of whether having an empty backpack truly brings him satisfaction.
Since "Thank You For Smoking" and "Juno" Jason Reitman's witty, if sometimes dry humour has brought him to the forefront of comedic-drama directors. However his first features, however blessed with undeniable charm, lacked a conscious moral backbone, which brought together the story and incorporated a clear message. "Up in the Air", filmed on the basis of the same-titled novel by Walter Kirn, borrows the premise and is contextualised by the author's work. The Reitman brothers script helps focus the attention and introduces wry wit to create a cohesive story attacking key aspects of human life, aspiring to answer questions of what is important, what is true happiness. Maybe somewhat of an overreach and the philosophical credentials of both source material and Reitman aren't notable enough to attack these issues with intellectual gusto. Nonetheless the movie takes on meaning of life questions with true emotional intent, never relenting and rarely dropping focus.
Clooney gives a powerful performance, as the cool self-centred man in the clouds, detached from possessions and stability, instead dedicated to ever soaring: living requires movement. Opposite her are offered two stances. One of a middle-aged female, for which travel is a mere escape, not a way of life - no strings attached, frivolous and meaningless. The other of the youthful Natalie, who lacks experience, but never fervour to change. Her person is key as she indicates a starting point (of Alex and Ryan 15-20 years in the past) - full of hope, exuberance and lack of perception in regards to the bigger picture. Despite her career push Natalie is burdened by her emotionality and lack of control or understanding of human needs. Meanwhile the wiser Ryan, despite reneging on leading a life 'hampered' by objects and persons, has a wider outlook, in someway deciding to live a vagabond life in order to never having to be the 'person on the other side of the table'. He escapes a so-called stable life, understanding how all-engulfing commitment is and how painful it can be. Both Natalie and Ryan have there points - the movie offering a meeting point somewhere mid-way, far from a fairy-tale and easy options. The outro of real-life interviews with people losing their jobs offers a substantial culmination - life may not be a bed of roses, but all in all when memories of happy times are brought about a second person is always involved, not frequent flier miles or computer screens.