Road to Nowhere

Rating: 8/10 (27 December 2009)

My advice to anyone thinking of seeing this is to consider your current situation. If you are in a vulnerable economic position, without a job or worried about losing your job, this could be too close to home. On the other hand, if you take some pleasure at the irony in things, maybe you'll find it a little piece of revenge. What one person takes away will be different than another. George Clooney plays his cool, usual, glib self with lines that seem written especially for him. This plot line isn't "Glengarry, Glenross," though once you've seen it you may see the same kind of callousness in the characterizations. Travel the bleak landscape that is day-in and day-out business travel. On this trip the false glamour of a big expense account and a new city every 24 hours. or less, is unmasked. Ambition without purpose, nor tangible rewards, beyond material gain, comes up wanting. Is freedom from all attachments really freeing? Which one of the main characters is the real "player" in this movie? The twist might surprise you. Up in the Air is well made and thought provoking to the point of being painful. "Up in the Air" is a glimpse into America's dark heart, the devaluation of the common working man. The main actors, Jason Bateman, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick are well able to stand up to Clooney's talent and hold their own.