A unique film, unlike any I've seen before.

Rating: 10/10 (15 February 2010)

Jason Reitman is on his way to become one of the greatest film directors of our time. Of an ostensibly young age, and with only three films under his belt, he has already proved himself as a visionary young director who refreshes the film industry and gives his movies the necessary combination of electricity and art that appeals to both mainstream audiences and art lovers. "Thank You for Smoking", his directorial debut, was an astoundingly hilarious dark comedy with deep and poignant reflections; "Juno" was a miracle comedy which revolutionized the teen comedy genre and which found its way into every household viewing experience. Now his latest film, "Up in the Air", is yet another dose of genius, a dramedy that entertains as it ponders the precarious balance between work and family, dealing with every scene a jolting blow to our consciences and a permanent life lesson to be learned.
The film introduces us to Ryan Bingham (George Clooney), a highly successful man who lives for his one-of-a-kind job: firing people. He's the best at a highbrow company where experts at firing people are hired by other companies to do the dirty work for them. Ryan is forced to fire countless people he's never met before, day after day, and he's really good at remaining emotionless and calm through their reactions- ranging from openly crying, to pleading for their family's well-being, to violently throwing a fit, to threatening with suicide. And yet, after each grueling meeting, he emerges with a smile, ready to take the next plane wherever he's needed next.
Ryan is a happy man, happy in his loneliness. He's comfortable up in the air, away from human connections, and thrives by earning wads of money, living in airports and keeping safely distant relationships with the few acquaintances he has. His friends are airport and store clerks who greet him happily as their patron, his girlfriends are casual women he meets at airport bars for a one-night stand, his family is the company he works for. What amazes audiences about this Ryan character is how coldly focused and intelligent he is- so much so that he acknowledges his loneliness, recognizes how isolated he's becoming, accepts the fact it may be detrimental to his well-being...and yet he relishes it. He lives for a fast-paced life traveling and earning frequent flyer miles.
One day, Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga) comes along; a sensual, intelligent, successful woman he meets at an airport bar. Naturally, they hit it off right away, but through time and through many meetings with her, he begins to understand the sudden and unforeseen need for company. And with the arrival of Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick), a young girl with fresh ideas and dating issues who challenges his working techniques and whom he has to show the ropes around the 'firing people' business, he begins to earn valuable life lessons and he begins to discover the deep complexities of the human condition...and how they're a deliciously bittersweet experience he can no longer live without.
Naturally, the film deals with highly complex topics, and they really ARE complex. These are topics authors have devoted heavy volumes to, and they've been thoroughly explored and cross-section in endless psychology textbooks. In a two-hour film, and through a fascinatingly original illustrative story, Jason Reitman has managed to probe into the topics and wrench their guts out to be exposed to an awestruck audience. The sheer force and poignant situations in the film are sure to make the audience both gag with heartbreak and sigh after laughing. Like another critic said, 'it's a searing and delicious slice of life', and every second of the film rings with truth and comic drama that we can all identify with. Clooney is down-to-earth and believable, the two supporting actresses are a joy to watch; the extras hired to play the fired employees have actually been fired at some point in their lives, and they were asked to improvise their emotions based on past experiences...so you can imagine the raw emotional power of their short performances.
It's an effective story driven by its pitch-perfect screenplay and its flawless performances. Notice how the drama and emotion happen by themselves, as naturally and as realistically as a film can convey. Rolfe Kent's score is quiet and creeps under the action to the point where you KNOW the music has become part of the feeling and not an enhancer; Eric Steelberg's cinematography deals no fantastic camera shots or dramatic camera effects, but includes every detail of the scene and makes us feel like actual witnesses of the action; it's us in that room, and Ryan is firing us. Basically, we're forced to take in the film as a whole and every technical aspect contributes to this wonderfully-crafted story.
As with his previous films, Reitman pays close attention to every word of the dialogue. It's fast-paced, witty, but every syllable down to every pause is important and is rendered to perfection. This is surely the best screenplay I've seen all year (adapted from the novel by Walter Kirn). It's a film to meditate with, to reflect upon...but above all, to bask in and to marvel at. And it's a hell of a good time too! Rating: 4 stars out of 4!!