The Best Film of 2009

Rating: 10/10 (30 March 2010)

Whenever I watch a movie I attempt to put myself in the main character's position. In the case of Jason Reitman's Up in the Air I pictured myself as a person who makes a living traveling from place to place releasing people from their jobs, in which the majority of time they have at least ten years experience and have done nothing to deserve being let go. For me it would be an impossibility because I personally have a hard time being the bearer of bad news. However, for Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) firing people is simply a job, in which he believes is a necessity. Most people have been fired at least once in their lifetime, and for Bingham he attempts to make the experience of being let go as painless as possible. There are many people who believe movies should be created purely as a means to escape reality. If you are one of these people I would recommend avoiding Jason Reitman's Up in the Air, a film that prides itself on depicting realistic situations, characters, and relationships. I for one believe that in this modern time period our society can benefit from such a movie, because it explores the same individual and societal challenges most of us are experiencing presently. Up in the Air is a character study of a man who chooses to avoid relationships with all people because he has discovered that being alone is better than the complications that come with romances and friendships. However, after meeting the woman of his dreams he has a tough decision to make. Relationships are the cause of true happiness, but they also have the potential to produce misery. Perhaps a life a neutrality is the way to go. Up in the Air is not a movie that supports the actions of a particular character. Instead it simply presents realistic relationships and allows the audience to decide for themselves who is right and who is wrong. This is what makes Up in the Air so clever. This movie is one of the smartest movies I've seen in years, which for me makes it one of the best films of 2009.