The Writer's Movie Journal: Up in the Air (2009)

Rating: 9/10 (13 March 2010)

"Up in the Air" (2009)
Directed By: Jason Reitman
Starring: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, & Danny McBride
MPAA Rating: "R" (for language and some sexual content)
Like George Clooney's Ryan Bingham, I love airports. There is something fascinating about seeing hundreds of people, all with a unique destination, come together in one place before branching out in infinite different directions. Watching "Up in the Air" is similar to visiting an airport. The characters meet, interact, and then depart for the rest of their lives. It is not surprising that, in such a character-driven movie, its performances must be flawless for it to be effective. Indeed, George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, and Anna Kendrick are rather remarkable in their respective roles. Following a termination facilitator (Clooney) as he tries to educate a young hotshot (Kendrick) on his much-maligned business while trying to obtain ten million frequent flier miles, "Up in the Air" is a wry, funny, and moving portrait of life on the road. The always-dependable Jason Reitman delivers yet another movie that is subtle in its execution, yet special in its outcome, proving once again that he has his hand firmly planted on the brain of corporate America and on the heart of the people within it. It is especially compelling to note that many of the people that Ryan fires, excluding a few well-placed actors like J.K. Simmons and Zach Galifianakis, are actual victims of widespread corporate lay-offs. "Up in the Air" achieves greatness not just by showing their distressed faces as they contemplate their uncertain futures, but by also showing the people on the other side of the desks as human beings who, in the end, are facing lives that are just as uncertain.
9/10