A great film, that resonates with both generation-X and Y

Rating: 9/10 (20 December 2009)

Up in the Air is a film that resonates perfectly with the current times. Not only does it involve a terminating company (a company that gets hired to fire people), and women in a position of power to put forth the stand that mentality of gender equality in the 21st century, but the main character, Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) represents the rolling stone mentality of so many business people in the 21st century. When asked, on an airplane, where he lives, he responds: "right here". Ryan ultimate goal in life differs from the typical American dream of building a family in a picket fence house – he wants to be the 7th person to reach the 10 million mile mark. He does not have a family, or even the intention to do so, he just wants to life his Up in the Air and do his job wherever it takes him. His ultimate dream is to be the ultimate rolling stone, an independent man who doesn't need anyone, because companionship means you can't life by yourself. He starts a relationship with Alex (Vera Farmiga) because they both, as she puts it, are turned-on by elite status and money. Their relationship might seem superficial, but what saves it from being just that, is that they both find themselves in the other person. She is Ryan's female counterpart, and they foil each other in a very unique way, bringing the best and the worst out of each other. Yet what makes this film magnificent is Anna Kendrick (who plays Natalie, Ryan's protégée in the termination company). She is a Cornell graduate who thinks she has live figured out by 23, and presents innovative ideas to the company that seem to make sense, but don't. If Ryan represents the intrepid entrepreneur who forgets his family because of wealth, and Alex his female counterpart, then Natalie is the Generation-Y equivalent of that. She is not interested in money or wealth in the same way Ryan and Alex are, but she is interested in having it all: the American dream, and the rolling stone dream of being independent. Being a generation-Y myself I know that the American dream doesn't work, but I can also tell that the wealthy independent entrepreneur doesn't either. Where does that live us then? Up in the Air tries to answer this question, while presenting character arcs that are both surprising and emotionally resonant, The three performances deserve the Oscar nominations they are going to get, and I can say that Anna Kendrick deserves the Oscar for best supporting actress. I haven't seen Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart yet (so I don't know if Clooney deserves the Oscar for best actor), but I have seen Precious, and although Mo'nique was extraordinary, it takes a different level of actress to sublimely act with such perfection. Their characters are people who mask their true identity in elegance and class, and when the mask melts away, that's when you see the true performance value of the actors. They don't only carry the movie along, but also make it a heartfelt comedy/drama (dramedy if you will) that resonates with everyone. It is the ultimate anti-capitalist film that is not really anti-capitalist, it's just capitalist. Jason Reitman also has the ability to mix music and dialogue to make it seem as realistic as these characters can be. He delivers his signature witty and sarcastic remarks to most of the character's interactions, and if you liked Juno or Thank you for Smoking, you will definitely like this film. Yet this film resonates more with a film like Sideways because of tone and themes, and it is no wonder the director pronounced Alexander Payne as one of his influences. Jason Reitman has established himself as one of the wittiest and realistic director's working in Hollywood, and this film proves it.
What makes this film a 9/10 instead of a 10/10? Some scenes are too long and some are out of nowhere. This may be in regards to the theme of life just shaking your life around, but Reitman could have handled the timing of these scenes differently, and all of the scenes that are a little off are either in the first 20 minutes, or in the last. They seem to come out of nowhere, and more explanation to the characters actions before or after could have sufficed, but that is just my opinion. In the end, it's both an entertaining film that delivers comedy, romance and the drama we all need and speaks tons to both older and younger audiences. It is a film whose demographic is people 35+ but can talk wonders to people younger who think they have the world figured out and everything is in their hands. A great film with a magnificent cast that I recommend to everyone.
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