What are we doing here?

Rating: 8/10 (26 October 2010)

What are we doing here? Asks the groom-to-be of Ryan Bingham's sister, as he contemplates his entire life the day of his wedding. This is a question that we all ask, and a question we all have different answers to. "Up in the Air" has an idea of what that answer may be, and unfortunately, our protagonist, Mr. Bingham, isn't able to figure it out.
The story begins with a rapid pace, showing the everyday life of Ryan Bingham-- a man whose only goal is to reach 10 million sky miles. This is a goal that keeps his motivational clock ticking and gives him a sense of purpose in a world he believes to be full of people clinging to ideas that just don't make sense.
He is able to attain this goal because of his job. He fires people for a living. He flies from city to city and does the job that his boss is too passive and insensitive to do.
At the beginning of the story, Bingham actually believes he is happy. He believes this because he doesn't know any other way. He has lived his life from hotel to hotel and from plane to plane for so long, he considers it home. He meets a woman named Alex that has similar ambitions and style. They flirt and have a one night stand and decide to continue the casual relationship.
His boss calls all of the termination specialists into the head office to discuss a change of pace. A new and young employee by the name of Natalie Keener has proposed an idea to fire people via video chat on the Internet. This immediately frightens the heck out of Bingham, and he does not want his home snatched away from him like that. The boss suggests that Bingham show Keener the ropes of firing.
Bingham's relationship with Alex continues to grow and he seriously starts to feel emotional even though he brushes it off consciously. Keener starts to confront Bingham about his lifestyle, and Bingham claims to not care about emotion or love. Keener's words seeped into Bingham's subconscious because he suddenly decided to start following his heart for the first time in his life.
It's almost like Bingham is in high school and is experiencing all of this exciting emotion for the first time, but we feel it too. We see a certain skip in his step and a smile in his formerly stern face. Unfortunately, the world isn't so gracious to Ryan Bingham, and he finds out who he is, and who he used to be.
The film seems to be a stereotypical love drama for the first half or so. Then it turns into something else. It turns into a film that makes you think about where society is at this point in time. It's a film that makes you wonder how cruel and hopeless the world can be. The story ends on a bittersweet note though, with Bingham staring at the destination board at the airport. We don't know where Bingham is heading, but I have a feeling it's not to fire someone.