Clooney plays a unique man, but somehow, we can all relate...

Rating: 10/10 (16 December 2009)

Up in the Air is really a well-developed character story, which makes me wonder how it came to be. Is this based on a real person? It must be, because you can feel his strengths and weaknesses--George Clooney as Ryan Bingham is just a beautifully portrayed character in this movie.
Anyone who's traveled can relate to Ryan. Anyone who's traveled frequently can relate to Ryan. Anyone who's traveled frequently for business can relate to Ryan. Anyone who's experienced a romantic exchange while traveling can relate to Ryan. Anyone who's been deceived and had their heart broken can relate to Ryan. But where we cannot relate to Ryan is in his lonely years of life as the married-to-his-career stoic man in a black suit, who has created a "coccoon of self-banishment," as his co-star so eloquently puts it.
Ryan's reality is that his 'home' is being in motion, rather than in one place like the rest of us. More specifically, his home is on an American jet that's 30,000 feet above the earth, and all of his belongings fit neatly in his smooth swiveling, retractable handle, carry-on bag.
He has perfected the art of traveling light and quickly, which makes him the top performer at his downsizing assistance company. Like the grim reaper, Ryan moves about the globe leaving countless numbers of fragile, fired people in his wake. But he's graceful and elegant about his approach, leaving the recently unemployed person feeling hopeful in most cases. His entire existence is to be the bearer of bad news, and to give lectures to others on how to live an efficient life carrying all their important items in just one backpack.
Ryan's confidence is shaken when a young upstart steps in and revamps his company's system to save money on traveling expenses. She develops a remote-firing protocol which places the employee and "termination engineer" in front of computer screens, communicating across the miles rather than face-to-face as Ryan does it. Ryan's boss is on her side, but Ryan's not convinced that by saving money on traveling, the business will succeed without the in-person human element of the process.
Ryan takes his new coworker on the road with him to show her why he thinks removing the human element from firing people makes her system flawed. During this trip Ryan meets Alex, the female version of himself, and they have an instant connection. He begins to fall for her, even bringing her along to his sister's wedding. Alex seems equally smitten, and you begin to wonder if the cocoon around Ryan is shedding. He may be grounded from his traveling lifestyle if his coworker's new remote system succeeds, so why not think about being grounded with his new found love, Alex? During one of his 'you-can-fit-everything-you-truly-need-in-a-backpack' lectures, Ryan walks out mid-sentence and spontaneously flies to Alex's home in Chicago to surprise her and to no doubt sweep her off her feet. Surprise indeed! She's married with kids and her only explanation for not telling him is that she thought Ryan liked their arrangement, but that she's an adult, and her reality is that she already has a family. You can almost hear Ryan's heart breaking.
He's distant with his two sisters, never been married or thought about it, doesn't have a 'real' home, can fit his personal items into a backpack, and thinks that moving slow is what kills you. Ryan really becomes a unique man when he finally earns the coveted 10 million frequent flier miles award card--only the 7th one ever presented to someone. The timing for receiving this award happens after Alex breaks Ryan's heart, truly ruining a moment he's looked forward to for some time. But we finally glimpse a side of Ryan that's human, just as the movie ends.
Seamless plot, dynamic characters, and expert cinematography make this movie come alive. Highly recommended.