A masterwork of maturity and true artistry for Reitman and Clooney

Rating: 9/10 (4 January 2010)

There is so much I want to say about Up in the Air that it has taken me days to even attempt to sit and write out my thoughts on it. It is the rare movie that is every bit as good as the critics and awards groups are making it out to be, and maybe even a little better. While it is not quite the best movie of the year, it is still a movie very much of its time, and one that will not soon be forgotten.
The film follows Ryan Bingham (George Clooney), who crisscrosses across the United States firing the people major companies cannot. He leads a very secluded lifestyle, rarely spending any time at home or with his family, and finds the joys in life come from collecting plastic loyalty club cards. He even works as a motivational speaker, giving people advice on how to live their lives more like his. But he enjoys the life, and thrives in it. When young up-and-comer Natalie (Anna Kendrick) comes up with a plan for his company to save costs across the board, he is at first flabbergasted at the very thought of his lifestyle coming to an end. But then his boss sends him out to teach Natalie more about what he does, and Ryan begins to see things a little different.
Jason Reitman belongs to a very exclusive group of young filmmakers who are getting better with each film they make. With Thank You for Smoking, Juno, and now Up in the Air, he has demonstrated an unparallelled consistency that is unlike almost all of his peers, including his own father Ivan (who acts as a producer here). Even though this is his third major film (and almost certainly his second Best Director Oscar nomination), he simply works like he is already a master filmmaker. The film knows what turns to take, what moves to make; everything is just so highly crafted and near perfect that you may wonder if this really is his third major film. There is so much creative output on display here that the film is simply a marvel to look at from the mindset of a filmmaker. The slapdash editing style of his previous two films is even stronger here than before as well.
If Reitman is at fault anywhere, it is in the jumping tones. It works very well for this film (whereas it nearly sank the obscenely hilarious satire in Smoking), but it has not been quite honed to perfection quite yet. Earlier this year, the animated emotional roller coaster of adventure found in the ironically titled Up managed to find its footing jumping around from being devastatingly sad to hilariously funny in a moment's notice. But that film had the benefit of being much more simplistic than Up in the Air (even with its unmatched character depth and balance). The film does strike a good balance, but as Ryan grows as a character, the film's tone does not necessarily follow with it. There were more than a few scenes that should have been funny but were sad, and others that were sad but came off hilarious. It is all about balance, and not every scene feels like it is as balanced as the next. The biting satire Reitman crafted in Smoking is here, as are the hilariously poignant moments he helped extend through Diablo Cody's script for Juno, and even a bit extra that comes from the maturity Reitman has gained as a filmmaker. But if there is a small flaw in the film, this is where it lies.
If Reitman has matured as a filmmaker here, than Clooney has matured even more so as a leading man. While his one-two punch of Syriana and Good Night, and Good Luck gave Clooney an excellent range as a star, it is this film that cements his status as a leading man. He commands the screen every second he shows up, and never once do we question the legitimacy of his portrayal. Reitman may have given Ryan Bingham his voice, but Clooney gives him the breath of life. This character is a flawed hack of a man, living the dream that is at once everything we could ever want and a nightmare of everything we never want to even think of. As the tone flip flops, Clooney stays on the straight and narrow, never backing away from any challenges, and never once sacrificing the quality and dimensionality of the role. In a year of surprisingly great performances, this one is a clear standout. It is not the kind of ballsy role that Syriana's Bob Barnes was, but it is a stronger performance and one that may make us forget Batman and Robin ever existed (well, at least the Batman portion of the film).
While J.K. Simmons, Sam Elliot, 2009 wonderkid Zach Galifianakis and Danny McBride all deliver great, small performances, and Jason Bateman helps ground the film in his surprisingly unfunny yet tragically serious role, it is Kendrick and Vera Farmiga that light up the screen in the few sections where Clooney is not chewing the scenery and just about everything else up. While Farmiga nearly ruined The Departed, she works as the yin to Clooney's yang. She delivers a brutally honest performance here, one that perfects Clooney's portrayal far greater than it ever could be. I was impressed with her work in every instance. Kendrick acts as the relative newcomer that she is, but it works for her rough around the edges character. I hope for more creative output outside of the Twilight franchise from her.
Up in the Air is a flawed film, but the flaws can easily be looked past. It is an incredible feat for everyone involved, and one that stands out as honest and heartbreaking at the same time. It is likely the one to beat come March.
9/10.