A comedic look at certain philosophies of life

Rating: 7/10 (24 January 2010)

Up in the Air is the latest effort from Jason Reitman, it's a simple story following the seemingly empty everyday life of Ryan Bingham (George Clooney), providing insight into choices of life style and the importance of human connection.
Ryan Bingham with a strange job; when a business has to lose a few employees they contact the company Ryan works for, who in turn send people out to do it for them. Ryan's life is a series of flights and airports as he travels America to fire people (sorry, I mean 'let them go'). It's no surprise that such a nomadic lifestyle has led Ryan to become a man with no connections to people, where most people would aim to build a family and own a home, Ryans greatest ambition is to clock up 10 million air miles for classy airport pass and his name on the side of a plane. The first real encounter we see him have is with Alex (Vera Farmiga), but their chemistry isn't built around the usual romantic notions we see in cinema, instead it is very businesses like. Two people who have similar tastes and desires and accept their situations dictate that the relationship can never be anything more. One great scene with the two of them whipping out their laptops to arrange their next sexual encounter based around their flight schedule sums it up perfectly.
Ryans life takes a turn when new employee Natalie Keener (Anna Hendrick) proposes an idea to the boss of Ryans company to change their approach. Instead of flying around America the company will do the firing via webcam and a laptop. The drastic effect this will have on the lifestyle of Ryan leaves him very opposed to the idea, with matters made more awkward when he is told to take Natalie around America to show her the ropes when it comes to delivering the news. As Ryan travels with Natalie, she challenges his philosophies and forces him to take a close look at the life he has chosen, with the prospect of being grounded and his growing affection for Alex he soon finds himself toying with the idea of changing his approach to the world.
The supporting cast do their jobs well, but George Clooney takes the centre stage, he is his usual suave self here, oozing confidence and coolness. Being one of the few single men his age in Hollywood and with only one distant marriage to his name, maybe he is bringing a bit of himself to the film with his anti-commitment philosophies. He also brings a nice subtle brand of comedy, he can deliver lines with deadpan or sarcasm with such little effort that will still make you laugh out loud.
The script is clever and witty but also insightful. The first half has a lighter whimsical feel to it, as we are getting to know Ryans character we are treated to some great throwaway lines and funny interactions (mostly with what appear to be semi-improvised snippets of people being fired), one of my favourite gags was the observations on different people in airport ques. As the film progresses the change in tone shifts a little. The humour is still there but the script focuses more on the seriousness of Ryans situation, to be a man without a home or a family, how can someone live without the prospect of building these things? Is it even feasible? The soundtrack provides a nice mix of folk and soft rock, which is a suitable choice for the films slow meandering pace.
The subject of living a life without roots versus building a family and a home is something we have all thought about before, and after watching it I was left considering Ryans views on life, and having that lingering thought process after a film always mean you've watched something worth seeing. It's slightly let down by the pacing towards the end, but the tight script and the comedic take on philosophies on life make for a strong effort that is most definitely worth watching.
7/10