What's in your Backpack?

Rating: 8/10 (11 December 2009)

Greetings again from the darkness. With Juno and Thank You for Not Smoking, writer/director Jason Reitman had proved himself to be not just a terrific filmmaker, but also one with real insight into people and society. His commentary is based on putting people in real situations and having us recognize these moments for what they truly mean.
Full disclosure - I am not a George Clooney fan. While I recognize his appeal to the masses, I usually only appreciate him when he steps out of the Clooney role and into something messy (Syriana). In this film, he does a pretty good job of removing his tongue from his cheek and playing the role with the necessary head-on approach it requires. His scenes with Vera Farmiga are extremely well written and acted; but it's his scenes with Anna Kendrick that make this film something special.
Clooney seems to be getting all the pub for this, but Ms. Kendrick delivers a turn that provides the emotional depth and link to the audience. My favorite scene is with the three leads discussing their ever-changing life dreams. As they say, youth is wasted on the young.
So many insightful moments about everything from loneliness to independence to loyalty to belonging ... all mixed with the harsh realities of the business world at a time when everyone lives in fear of losing their job. Watching these people talk about the pain and humiliation of losing a job that is so intertwined with their person is just excruciating. This really plays out in the scene with J.K. Simmons.
Gotta mention the great Sam Elliott in his brief moment as he chats it up with his airline's most loyal customer. Mr. Elliott never disappoints, even if on screen for just a couple of minutes. Thanks to Mr. Reitman for delivering yet another film with bite ... something to chew on and appreciate.