A safe landing...

Rating: 7/10 (2 January 2010)

Up in the Air follows the life of Ryan Bingham (George Clooney), a mature, single, middle aged man whose job is to fire people. Directed by Jason Reitman (Juno and Thank You for Smoking), it hits home in relation to our currently troubled economic climate, which is bound to get our attention. Ryan is a charming man, liked by just about everyone albeit his clients. His employment has him flying just about everywhere in the country, and as such he lives a life composed mostly of solitude. Fortunately for him, the trade off of close personal social interaction gives him the bonus of high-end credit cards and VIP hotel accommodations.
However, like with a lot of other fields, his job is changing and evolving. Enter the young and very bright, Natalie Keener played by Anna Kendrick (the Twilight Saga) who has a brilliant idea to save money by doing all the terminations via webcam on the ever-practical internet. Ryan's new job is to teach Anna the ropes before the company is totally sold on her idea.
Also joined with the cast is Vera Flamigo (the Departed) as Alex, a fellow frequent flyer with a similar 'no-strings attached' attitude and an obvious affection toward Bingham.
This movie was smart, witty, and playfully cynical. Clooney does a great job as usual, trying to mentor sweet Anna of the detached yet falsely hopeful persona this position requires. Under the guise of a documentary crew, the director actually held real interviews for the film with people whom recently been fired from their jobs and asked them to express the way they felt during their termination.
The story is interesting and engaging, but not necessarily unpredictable. However, it by no means follows the Hollywood general criteria. Put simply, Up in the Air gives perspective on what should really matter in life, and the effects of our appreciation, or lack thereof.