Canada’s own Jason Reitman has made quite a name for himself in the last few years. In 2005, he wrote and directed Thank You For Smoking (one of this reviewer’s favourite movies), a satirical look at the tobacco industry, before directing the widely-adored hipster romp Juno, which of course won an Oscar for Best Screenplay. With a short, but impressive resume, Reitman has returned with Up in the Air, another satirical dramedy, this time taking a look at modern life. Co-written and directed by Reitman, this is another film with a huge amount of Oscar buzz around it, making it a movie that is high on many “must see” lists.
From the get go, it is easy to see why there is so much hype; George Clooney is stellar as Ryan Bingham, a man whose job requires him to fly across the country 250 days a year. From what could have been a rather unlikable character, Clooney actually manages to convince the viewer to consider his isolated way of living, engaging the viewer both intellectually and emotionally by the end of the film. He is a rather narcissistic protagonist, but draws that important sympathetic emotional response. While Clooney steals the show with a strong dramatic and comedic performance, he is supported by the fabulous Anna Kendrick as Natalie Keener, a naive young modern woman looking to change the way Clooney’s job is done. The forming bond between the two is well-written and realistically paced, but doesn’t result in an atypical romance like most would predict. Instead, Keener’s view on life is a refreshing and welcome paradox to Bingham’s, making for interesting dialogue and character development throughout. The additional characters of Alex Goran (Bingham’s multi-city lover, played excellently by Vera Farmiga), and Bingham’s sisters and soon-to-be brother-in-law (played by the hilarious Danny McBride) all add comedic and dramatic elements themselves. Unfortunately, Jason Bateman‘s portrayal of Craig Gregory, Bingham’s boss, is rather lackluster – one of the few sore spots of the film.
Plot-wise, Reitman nails a well-paced and smart script that leaves few holes for the viewer, without being blatantly obvious. It is a movie with small touches (the ongoing relationship between Bingham and Goran is filled with them), that are easy enough to pick up on without making the viewer feel dumb. Additionally, Up in the Air has one of the strongest conclusions in recent memory. Instead of going for the traditional, everyone-feel-good finish, it opts for a more realistic and metaphorical ending – done so in a way that it can be looked at from a few different angles, all resulting in a different, but still happy, resolution.
Like its main character, Up in the Air is isolated from a majority of indie-feeling films, and thus makes an attractive choice come awards season. However, it does not reach the satirical status of Thank You For Smoking, instead touching a different audience altogether, without sacrificing character or plot along the way. It is a well-executed movie that continues Reitman’s strong resume along with Clooney’s newly found comedic edge.
(8.0/10)
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