 Thank You For Smoking put Jason Reitman on the world stage. Juno got him a seat at the prestigious Academy Awards. Up In The Air is looking most likely to get him personally acquainted with the Golden statuette.
With Up In The Air, Reitman has been able to concoct a cocktail of wit, skepticism and emotion, all with a slice of somberness on the edge of the reel. Since Thank You For Smoking he hasn't put a foot wrong. With the thundering success he made of Diablo Cody's Juno, Reitman, aided by Sheldon Turner, has delivered to his growing list of admirers by taking Walter Kirn's novel and churning out a screenplay, through omissions and additions, which sets the big screen alight.
Few directors have been able to blend the perfect mix of the aforementioned cinematic cocktail with such style. One that comes to mind is Alexander Payne who managed to do so in Sideways. But Reitman has brought joy to his producers and entertainment to audiences around the globe three times in the last four years by using the same method in entirely different stories, whilst maturing as a director and writer. That is no small task.
Up In The Air encompasses the life of Ryan Bingham, played brilliantly by George Clooney, a "career transition counselor" (whose job is to fire people). Bingham's rootless life somewhat mirrors that of Clooney's inability or unwillingness to settle down.
 The protagonist's life is primarily spent in airports and airplanes, impeded only when he has to assist bosses in communicating redundancies to their employees because they cannot do so themselves. Moonlighting as a motivational speaker where he preaches individuality and detachment, he is naturally disconnected from family and friends. He spends 322 days a year in the sky, where he manages to establish a connection with a young colleague and fashion a romantic interest with a like-minded woman.
Written in 2002, Up In The Air was put on hold as Reitman focused on Juno and Thank You For Smoking. Its production and release in the present climate made it more of a topical film. Fans of the director and/or the actors will be satisfied with the progression, relevance and sense of reality the storyline upholds (Reitman uses real life people who were laid off for the firing sequences in the film).
While Clooney's sexual orientation has been questioned, along with his sanity when he domesticated a pig, his acting prowess (discounting Batman) has never been in doubt. Clooney masterfully embodies Ryan's character, whose motto "The slower we move, the faster we die" is clearly represented in every move he makes and each line that he delivers.
 The film and the director also went a long way in revealing Anna Kendrick's acting abilities as Natalie, the Cornell graduate with weighty ambitions. For whoever has watched, or even attempted to watch, the Twilight series knows that the film is littered with deplorable acting. Kendrick unfortunately is part of that cast, but with this performance she goes a long way in proving her doubters wrong as she displays a solid performance across an acting legend, Clooney.
Similarly the other female lead in the movie, Vera Farmiga who plays Alex, Ryan's romantic link, does a good job of portraying a sexy jet-setter. Add to this that she gave birth recently says a lot about her dedication to shed the pounds for the role. In essence Farmiga's character is written to be the female version of Ryan Bingham. "I'm you with a vagina," she exclaims to Ryan at one point in the film. The performance is testament to her versatility as it is a far different character from the one she played in The Departed of a warm psychiatrist.
Simple yet great cinematography coupled with sharp editing and a brilliant soundtrack, added to the individual performances, makes the film a well-rounded success worthy of accolades in the coming awards season.
– Amar Ayaz
*YUCK
**WHATEVER
***GOOD
****SUPER
*****AWESOME |
