Writer: Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner (Screenplay) Walter Kirn (Novel)
Starring: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, Amy Mortonm Melanie Lynskey, J.K. Simmons, Sam Elliot, Danny McBride
Plot: Ryan Bingham enjoys living out of a suitcase for his job traveling around the country firing people, but finds that lifestyle threatened by the presence of a potential love interest and a new hire.
Tagline – From Paramount Pictures comes the story of a man ready to make a connection
Runtime: 1 Hour 49 Minutes
There may be spoilers the rest of the review
Verdict: Delightful Comedy Drama
Story: Up in the Air starts as we meet Ryan Bingham (Clooney) whose job involves traveling around America firing people for companies, he loves being on the road clocking up countless air miles. When young analyst Natalie Keener (Kendrick) comes to Ryan’s boss Craig (Bateman) with an idea that could cut the costs by running the process from the office meaning Ryan and his team are grounded.
To prove his value to the company and show Natalie the ropes, Ryan must take Natalie on the journey to show her how personal the process is and how important the job is too him. Along the way he teaches her life lesson along with his new friend Alex (Farmiga) who enjoys a similar lifestyle.
Thoughts on Up in the Air
Characters – Ryan Bingham has a career in traveling around firing people for companies, he has it down to an art form, be in conducting the firings or traveling through the airport. He doesn’t like commitment and when he learns that his job is going to be minimized and grounded from travelling, he sets out to prove to his boss and the young woman who created the idea how importance of the personal approach is during this process. Natalie is the young idealistic woman that believes she can help the company save money by taking the role away from Ryan and his co-workers traveling expense, she has her life planned out, but spending time with Ryan she learns more about what life is really about and how to not take away the personal touch out of the process. Alex is a woman that Ryan meets on the road, she travels as often as he does, they start a relationship and meeting her helps Ryan realize what he wants from life.
Performances – George Clooney is brilliant in this role, his biggest strength has always been to be the confident guy that excels at his job and he gets to show this in every scene as we learn from his characters decisions. Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick are both wonderful in their supporting roles, they both get to help Ryan understand different generations of goals.
Story – The story follows one man whose dream job is being downsized for economic reasons as he must look to show a young woman who has come up with the plan for this process. We get to look at a couple of big life issues going on here, first we see how companies are always looking to downsize for financial reasons, second focuses on the loneliness people have when they focus on their careers, and third just how the plans people believe to have can never go as planned. This is one of the most interesting stories that seems like it has got to a newer level than ever before.
Romance – We have moments of romance which don’t overshadow the dramatic moments as we light-heartedly follow the story unfold.
Settings – The film takes us all over America to see different reactions from different people about losing their jobs.
Scene of the Movie – Letting loose.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – I did enjoy every moment of this film.
Final Thoughts – This is a wonderful and delightful movie that hits all the levels it aims for, for me this is the best Clooney performance of his career and handles the sensitive subject of downsizing and unemployment.
Overall: Truly enjoyable movie.
Rating