Often times, life imitates art. Other times, art imitates life. Director Jason Reitman dutifully follows the latter, having crafted “Thank You for Smoking” and the endearing “Juno.” His last movie, “Up in the Air,” painfully does a reality check where
Often times, life imitates art. Other times, art imitates life. Director Jason Reitman dutifully follows the latter, having crafted “Thank You for Smoking” and the endearing “Juno.” His last movie, “Up in the Air,” painfully does a reality check where it hurts the most during this time of economic crisis, losing our bread-winning jobs.
Ryan Bingham, in a terrific interpretation by George Clooney, works for a company specialized in firing people. His job takes him all over the country, which leads him to pretty much live out of a suitcase and spend “43 miserable days at home” each year.
Bingham, a man who avoids emotional connections, has little bonds even with his own family and no regards for those he fires, which can add to dozens per day. By choosing Clooney to play Bingham, Reitman delivers a cheap and clever shot – it is impossible to hate the charismatic former ER star, regardless of how heartless his character is portrayed.
The falsely compassionate Bingham has great plans; aiming to accumulate 10 million miles from American Airlines, a feat only achieved by six others. More people have walked on the Moon, he reminds us. The prior year he has flown 350,000 miles. Bingham brags the Moon is a mere 250,000 miles (the actual distance is 238,857 miles) from the Earth.
Vera Farmiga plays Alex Gordon, the 30something woman who might, even if unwillingly, inspire Bingham to reevaluate his life and his reluctance to give up his bachelor lifestyle.
When all seems perfectly fine in Bingham’s life, a young employee brings in some drastic changes to the company that brings drastic changes to employees all over the nation. Natalie Keener, played by Anna Kendrick, introduces the idea of firing people over the Internet, in a conference call.
The radical news will put an end to Bingham’s travels, and he’ll have to settle down in Omaha. His real home, airports and airplanes, will be taken away with this new work methodology. His dream of accruing 10 million miles might fly away too.
Farmiga stands tall acting alongside Clooney. The confident actress shows a sensual side we have already seen in Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed,” when she played a police psychiatrist who got involved with Leo DiCaprio and Matt Damon.
Kendrick does well enough. Her crying goes a little unconvincing, but she’s cute enough to put a believable show. It is when she describes to Bingham and Alex how her ex-boyfriend “fits the bill” that she puts a memorable performance, mocking the American dream of a happy family, complete with a nice house, an SUV, a good job, a dog, children, and a loving relationship, in that order of importance.
“Up in the Air” is nicely put together, the editing is ingenious, the dialogues are witty and smart, and the special effects are non-existent. It’s quite a relief to watch a movie without explosions, with no extraordinary crimes to be solved, no aliens, no blood-hungry creatures (corporate sharks don’t really drink blood), and where people actually fly inside of planes.
However well done “Up in the Air” is, it still pinches a nerve in the proletariat. Try watching the brilliant “Closer” after barely surviving a love-triangle. Try watching the acclaimed “500 Days of Summer” after being dumped by a girlfriend who never really loved you. Finally, try watching this movie after losing your job. Nobody said life was easy, but they did say the movies would make it at least look easier. Not this one.
Wailua residents and married couple Eric and Lois Lutz enjoyed the movie overall.
“It was a really good movie, the acting was really good, but it was a little bit on the not-so-happy side,” Lois said.
Eric agreed with his wife regarding the acting, and added a little insight. “It was very accurate as far as today’s environment. It was up-to-date of what’s going on in the world and how cold things can be in the downturn of events.”
Despite some of the depressive aspects of the financial crisis, Eric said there were parts that were heart-warming. “Definitely a really good movie.”
Asked if they see a light at the end of the tunnel, Eric and Lois didn’t flinch in responding affirmatively.
“Up in the Air” makes no promises. It shows us we can lose our financial stability in the blink of an eye. However, despite the cruel and raw portrait of our times, the movie does ask us to hang in there and look for ways to cope after losing our livelihood.
That said, there is an unforgiving blemish in “Up in the Air,” but as much as it is tempting to point a finger, it would be a spoiler. It works for the movie, but it is nonetheless an ethical frivolity to use a certain event to pivot the plot at the end. We’ll just hope that in this case, no one will use life to imitate art. You’ll just have to watch it to find out what it is.
